Doba A La Nissarda Recipe

Marinate Beef

Place the beef cubes in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Add 500 ml of the red wine, smashed garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns and 1 tsp kosher salt. Stir or massage to combine, cover (or seal) and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight to tenderize and develop flavor.

Remove the beef from the marinade, reserve the wine, and pat the beef dry with paper towels (reserve garlic and peppercorns from marinade). Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or wide ovenproof pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches so the meat browns (don’t crowd the pan), add the beef cubes and brown well on all sides, about 6–8 minutes per batch. Transfer browned beef to a plate.

Lower the heat to medium, add remaining 1 tbs olive oil to the pot. Add chopped onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes to caramelize, then add the chopped tomatoes (or canned crushed tomatoes) and cook until the mixture is slightly reduced and well combined, about 4–5 minutes.

Stir the reserved marinade wine into the pot, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Add the remaining 250 ml red wine (if needed) so you have about 750 ml total wine added between marinade and fresh; then add the beef stock. Return the browned beef to the pot along with any accumulated juices.

Add the chopped anchovy fillets, olives, capers, thyme sprigs and rosemary. Add the reserved smashed garlic from the marinade if desired for extra flavor. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Once simmering, reduce the heat to low so the stew maintains a bare simmer. Cover partially with a lid (leave a small gap) and simmer gently for 2 to 2½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender and the sauce has concentrated. If the liquid reduces too much, add small amounts of water or more stock to maintain a spoon-coating consistency.

About 20 minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the brown sugar or honey and butter to round out acidity and add gloss. Taste and season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.

If you prefer a slightly thicker sauce, mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbs cold water to make a slurry, whisk into the simmering stew and cook 3–4 minutes until sauce thickens.

Remove and discard thyme stems and rosemary. Stir in lemon zest and chopped parsley to bring a bright Nicoise note to the rich stew.

Adjust seasoning one last time. Serve the Doba a la Nissarda hot over small boiled potatoes or with crusty bread alongside. Garnish with extra olives and a sprinkle of parsley if desired.