Pot-Au-Feu

Name: Pot-Au-Feu
Yield: Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients: 4 pounds short ribs, cut into 3-inch lengths (ask the butcher to do this for you); 3 pounds veal bones; 1 brisket (3 to 3 1/2 pounds), trimmed of fat; 10 sprigs thyme; 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns; 20 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley (stems and leaves); 2 dried bay leaves; 5 garlic cloves (unpeeled); 2 medium yellow onions (unpeeled), halved lengthwise; 4 whole cloves; 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths; 3 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch lengths; Coarse salt; 4 medium leeks, halved lengthwise and well washed (page 32); 12 small carrots, peeled and about 2 inches of tops intact, if desired; 10 marrow bones (about 1 1/2 inches thick); 1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds); 2 medium turnips, peeled and quartered; 1 head savoy cabbage, outer leaves removed, cut through the root into 8 small wedges; 16 tiny new potatoes (1 1/2 inches in diameter), or 8 lsarger ones, halved or quartered; Coarse salt; Croutons (page 199); Grainy French mustard; Cornichons; Fleur de sel (French sea salt); Fresh horseradish (grated on the small holes of a box grater)

January 26, 2012

Pot-au-feu (literally “pot on the fire”) is sometimes described as the national dish of France. It certainly embodies one of that country’s primary tenets of cooking: taking inexpensive and widely available ingredients and, with a bit of careful tending-to and extended cooking, turning them into a dish fit for a king. Calling it a one-pot dish, however, is a bit of a misnomer; sure, most everything is cooked in the same pot, just not at the same time (the potatoes are always cooked separately). What you end up with is a multifaceted meal that retains the taste of each of its components. If you want to follow tradition, serve the broth as a separate course, then present the sliced meat and vegetables on a platter. Choose among mandatory accompaniments—fresh horseradish, assorted mustards, cornichons (or gherkins), and sea salt—and be sure to offer toasted bread for spreading with the marrow scooped from the bones.

Recipe notes

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