Pot Au Feu A La Minute Recipes

POT-AU-FEU RECIPE

Steps:

• Trim the excess fat off the beef and pork pieces. Tie each piece so that it will hold its shape during cooking.
• Truss the chicken. To each piece of meat and to the chicken, tie a string long enough to fasten to the handle of the large stockpot, so that the meats may be removed easily for testing. Set aside the pork and chicken.
• Place the beef in a stockpot large enough to accommodate the meats and vegetables. Add the soup vegetables -- 3 carrots, 3 onions, the parsnips, celery stalks and leeks.
• Tie the 6 parsley sprigs, the bay leaf, thyme, garlic and peppercorns in cheesecloth and add to the pot. Add the beef and chicken broth and enough water to cover the meat and vegetables by 6 inches. More liquid may be added later if necessary. Set the kettle over moderate heat, bring to a simmer and skim. Partially cover the kettle and simmer slowly for 1 hour, skimming occasionally.
• Add the pork and chicken. Bring the mixture quickly back to a simmer. Skim. Simmer 1 1/2 hours, skimming from time to time. Pull up the chicken and check to see if it is done. If it is done, remove it to a bowl and keep moist with several ladlefuls of stock.
• To prepare the vegetable garnish, peel the turnips and quarter the turnips and the remaining 3 to 4 carrots lengthwise. Leave small carrots whole. Tie the carrot and turnip quarters and the remaining 3 to 4 onions and 3 to 4 leeks in one or several bundles of cheesecloth so they may be removed easily from the pot.
• Add the vegetable garnish and bring the pot quickly back to a simmer. Taste the stock for seasoning and salt lightly if necessary. Simmer 1 to 2 hours, adding the sausage half an hour before the end. The meats and chicken are done when they are tender if pierced with a sharp-pronged fork or skewer. If any piece is tender before the others are done, remove to a bowl and keep moist with several ladlefuls of cooking stock. Return to the pot to reheat before serving.
• To serve, remove the meats and vegetable garnish from the stockpot. Discard the trussing strings. Arrange the vegetables on a large, hot platter and moisten them with a ladleful of cooking stock. Decorate with parsley. Either place the meats in a large casserole for carving at the table or carve in the kitchen and arrange on a platter. Strain, degrease and season enough cooking stock to fill a large serving bowl, and pass it along with the Dijon mustard.

POT-AU-FEU

Steps:

• In an 10 to 12 quart stock pot or soup kettle combine beef with short ribs and cover with stock or water by 4 inches. Bring to a boil over moderate heat; as the stock begins to boil, carefully skim all foam and scum from surface and discard. Reduce heat to low, skim again, then add onions, carrots, tomatoes and bouquet garni. Skim again; cover the pot, leaving the lid ajar and simmer as slowly as possible, skimming on occasion. Cook for 2 to hours or until meat is almost tender. Remove meats. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with dampened double layer of cheesecloth. Discard seasoning vegetables and bouquet garni; remove surface fat. (If you do this on one day, before you finish the dish, store meat and liquid separately.)
• Transfer stock to a clean pot. Return the meat to the liquid along with the carrots and turnips. Bring the liquid to a boil, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes or until carrots, turnips and meats are tender. Meanwhile boil the potatoes separately (when done, leave in water off heat) and steam cabbage wedges separately for 8 minutes or until just tender.
• To serve, degrease the liquid and season with salt and pepper. Remove meat from liquid, discard strings and carve into 1/4-inch slices, remove short rib bones and cut into chunks. Transfer slices of meat, a portion of potatoes, cabbage, carrots, turnips into a deep soup plate. Ladle liquid over the top and garnish with parsley; serve as main course soup.
• Or, serve soup liquid first, garnished with parsley and serve meat, vegetables, potatoes and carrots as a second course, accompanied by 1 or more accompaniments and a good French bread.

POT-AU-FEU A LA MINUTE

Steps:

• Slice off and discard the bottom end of the cabbage. Cut it lengthwise in half and cut each half crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Put the pieces in a kettle and add cold water to cover.
• Bring to a boil. When the water reaches a full, rolling boil, drain cabbage. Rinse under cold running water until well chilled. Drain well.
• Put the bacon in a casserole or kettle and cook, stirring often, until rendered of fat. Add the chicken legs and thighs, skin side down, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes.
• Cut the pork crosswise into 8 pieces of more or less equal thickness. Add these to the chicken and sprinkle the onion and garlic over all.
• Cook briefly, stirring, and add the wine and broth. Bring to a simmer and add the cabbage, potatoes, carrots, cloves, allspice, bay leaf and thyme. Cover closely and cook 25 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
• Serve the meats and vegetables with a little of the broth and the tomato and horseradish sauce.

POT AU FEU

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange veal bones in a heavy-bottomed roasting pan. Place in oven and roast, turning occasionally, until light golden brown, about 1 hour.
• Transfer veal bones to a 20-quart stockpot. Tie up each short rib with kitchen string. Add short ribs, brisket, and enough cold water to cover the meats (about 6 1/2 quarts). Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and skim off any fat and scum that form on the surface. Simmer for 30 minutes, skimming as necessary.
• Trim dark-green tops from leeks, and reserve them. Cut leek bottoms in half lengthwise, and place in a bowl of cold water. Soak for 10 minutes to rid them of sand. Lift out, drain, and set aside. Add onions, 2 medium carrots, half the leeks, and 1 tablespoon salt to the stockpot. Wrap thyme, garlic, white and black peppercorns, cloves, parsley stems, and bay leaves in cheesecloth, tie with kitchen string, and add to stockpot along with 1 quart water. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and let simmer. After 1 hour and 15 minutes, turn on oven to 425 degrees. and preheat for 15 minutes.
• Prepare chicken: rinse it inside and out, pat dry, tie the legs together with kitchen string, and tuck wing tips underneath body. Place in a roasting pan, and roast until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to the simmering stockpot, and add water to cover (about 3 quarts). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 45 minutes (the stock should simmer a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes), skimming the surface as necessary. If the chicken cannot be completely immersed in the water, turn it after 20 minutes to ensure even cooking.
• Remove stockpot from heat. Remove the meat and chicken from the stockpot; set meats aside. Strain the broth into a large bowl through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, and discard solids. Let meat and broth cool, and refrigerate them overnight.
• Continue the preparation the next day. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Rub salt on cut sides of marrow bones. Rinse the reserved leek tops in cold water, and cut into 20 strips, 1/2 inch by 9 inches. Crisscross 2 strips of leek tops over each marrow bone, and bind with kitchen string. Place marrow bones in a small roasting pan, and add just enough cold water to cover (about 1 1/2 cups). Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil, and bake until marrow is opaque, about 1 hour. Remove from oven, keep covered, and set aside.
• Meanwhile, remove broth from refrigerator, and skim off any fat that has solidified on the surface. Return the broth to the 20-quart stockpot, and bring to a boil. Add remaining leeks, and cook over medium-high heat for 25 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Add brisket, short ribs, chicken (cut in half), celery hearts, baby carrots, and potatoes, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add haricots verts, and cook until tender but still slightly crunchy, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside in a medium bowl; cover with aluminum foil. To the same water, add cabbage, and cook over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes. Add turnips and cook until both are tender, about 15 more minutes. Drain, cut each cabbage wedge in half, and set aside in a large bowl; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
• Slice baguette diagonally into 1/2-inch slices, and toast on a baking sheet in the heated oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• When all the vegetables are tender and the meats and chicken are warmed through, remove meats and chicken from broth. Prepare the meats and potatoes for serving (and keep them, covered, in a warm oven while you complete the process): slice the brisket into 1/4-inch slices. Remove bones from chicken breast; cut each half into three pieces, and cut legs from thighs. Untie short ribs, remove gristle, and cut each piece in half. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Adjust the seasoning of the broth with salt and pepper to taste. Divide meats, chicken, marrow bones, vegetables, and broth among eight serving bowls. Serve immediately with toasted bread, mustard, olives, cornichons, horseradish, and salt. Strain any remaining broth through a fine-mesh strainer, and freeze for future use.