Daube de boeuf

Halve the celery and put it in a bundle with the bay leaves, thyme and parsley. Tie with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole and fry the bacon lardons over a medium heat until golden. Scoop all the pieces up with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.

Dry the beef with double layers of kitchen paper – wet beef doesn’t brown well. Brown the meat, in 2-3 batches, over a medium-high heat. Transfer each batch to the bowl containing the bacon. Preheat the oven to 150ºC, gas mark 2.

Fry the onions in the fat in the pan – add a little more if you need it – over a medium heat, adjusting if the onions are getting too dark. Once softening (about 10 minutes), add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.

Pour in the wine, turn the heat up and boil until reduced by ½. Add the stock, the bouquet garni, the carrots, tomatoes and orange zest. Bring to just under the boil, then put the bacon and beef into the pan. Season well. Cover, then transfer to the oven and cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Skim some fat off the top. Add the olives and check the seasoning. Remove the bouquet garni.

Place the pan over a very gentle heat. Mash the butter with the flour, then whisk into the pan in 2 separate bits and simmer gently for about 2 minutes. It will slightly thicken the juices. There’s no need to remove the meat. You can make the dish up to this point and keep it in the fridge for up to 48 hours. The flavour improves. Remove 350ml juices if making the macaroni gratin that goes perfectly with this recipe.

Make the persillade – it’s a bit like an Italian gremolata but without the lemon – by finely chopping the parsley and garlic. Reheat the daube and, just before serving, scatter the persillade on top. Serve with the macaroni gratin and a green veg on the side.