Pot Au Feu Recipes

POT-AU-FEU

Steps:

• Cook meats:
• Preheat convection oven to 425°F or regular oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
• Pat meats dry, then rub with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt (total) and arrange in 1 layer in a large shallow baking pan with quartered onions and halved carrots. Roast, turning occasionally, until meats and vegetables are well browned, 35 to 45 minutes in convection oven; 45 minutes to 1 hour in regular oven.
• Transfer meats and vegetables to pot with any juices from pan. Deglaze pan with a little water, scraping up brown bits, then add to pot with water (6 quarts) and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, skimming foam and fat from surface.
• Tie celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and clove in a cheesecloth bundle and add to pot.
• Cut off dark green part from leeks, reserving remainder, and wash . Fold greens and tie in 2 bunches, then add to pot. Gently simmer, uncovered, skimming as necessary, until meats are very tender, about 3 hours.
• Prepare leeks and onions while meats simmer:
• Trim roots from leeks, keeping ends intact, then, starting 1 1/2 inches from root end, slit each leek lengthwise and wash between layers. Tie leeks together in 2 bunches, tying each bunch in 2 places.
• Blanch boiling onions in a medium pot of boiling water 1 minute, then drain and peel.
• Cook meats:
• Preheat oven to 200°F with rack in lower third.
• Transfer meats to a shallow baking pan, discarding bones from short ribs, and keep warm, covered with foil, in oven. Discard cheesecloth bundle, leek greens, and cooked onions and carrots from broth, then skim off fat from broth with a skimmer or large spoon and keep broth warm over low heat.
• Arrange marrowbones (if using) upright in 1 layer in a medium saucepan and add enough broth from pot (about 1 quart) to cover bones. Add 1 teaspoon salt and simmer gently, uncovered, until marrow is soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While marrowbones cook, simmer boiling onions and leeks with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in remaining broth in large pot, uncovered, 15 minutes.
• Add small carrots and turnips and simmer, uncovered, until all vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Serve pot-au-feu:
• Transfer marrowbones with tongs to a platter (discard liquid) and serve with baguette slices and coarse salt.
• Discard bone from chuck roast and slice chuck 1/2 inch thick, then arrange, along with meat from short ribs, on a large platter.
• Transfer vegetables to platter with a slotted spoon and cut string off leeks.
• Season broth with salt and pepper, then spoon some over meats and vegetables to moisten and serve remainder in a soup tureen.
• To eat, ladle broth over meats and vegetables in soup plates, then stir in horseradish and mustard to taste.

POT-AU-FEU STEW

Steps:

• In a large, heavy stockpot over medium heat, brown the meat. Add the chicken stock, vegetables, and herbs and bring to a simmer, about 20 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are fork-tender. Raise the heat if necessary to maintain the simmer.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat to a cutting board. Spoon the vegetables among 4 large shallow bowls. Ladle some broth into each bowl. Slice the meat into 8 slices and spoon 2 slices into each bowl.

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

Steps:

• 1. Tie the top or bottom round, the beef checks, and the pot roast separately so they are compact and don't fall apart during cooking. Place them, with the oxtails, in a large, deep stockpot. Add the salt, cover by at least two inches with water and bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering. When impurities begin to rise to the surface of the water skim them off, and continue skimming until you see no more impurities, which should take about 20 minutes.
• 2. Pierce the onions with the cloves and cut the onions in half.
• 3. Add half the vegetables and the bouquet garni to the meat in the pot and make sure all is covered by at least one inch with water. Add half the peppercorns, cover, and bring just to a boil. Adjust the heat so the liquid is simmering-it shouldn't boil or the meat will be tough. Cook, partially covered, for at least three hours.
• 4. Remove the meat from the broth. Strain the broth and discard vegetables. Return broth to the pot and add bay leaves. Bring it just to a boil. Add the carrots and the rutabaga and cook until they're beginning to turn tender, about 10 minutes. Add the turnips and onions and cook until they're beginning to turn tender, about 10 minutes. Add celery root and leeks and cook until they, and all the vegetables, are tender through. Remove vegetables from the broth and place them in a shallow bowl. Moisten with some of the broth, cover, and keep them warm. Add the meat back to the broth along with the marrow bone and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the broth, drizzle it with a ladle or two of broth and keep it warm.
• 5. Rub each piece of bread with garlic and place it in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Pour equal amounts of broth over it and serve as a first course.
• 6. Remove the strings from the meat and cut the pieces either into thick slices or into chunks. Arrange the meat on a warmed platter surrounded with the vegetables. Serve it with the condiments alongside.

POT AU FEU

Steps:

• The day before: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the bones in a large roasting pan. Roast until browned on all sides. Place in a large stock pot with eight quarts water, onion, carrot, celery and herb bouquet. Season with pepper and simmer for four hours, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Drain, reserving the marrow bones. Cool the stock, strain it and refrigerate. Remove the marrow from the bones, place it in a container and refrigerate.
• Chop two cloves garlic in thin slivers. Lard the beef brisket with small pieces of the garlic and tarragon leaves and season with pepper. Wrap and refrigerate overnight. Rub the chicken with lemon juice and put thyme leaves under the breast skin and season the cavity with pepper. Wrap and refrigerate.
• The day of serving: Skim the fat from the stock. Bring the stock to simmer, add the beef and simmer gently for one-and-a-half hours.
• Meanwhile, make the stuffing for the chicken. Soften the shallots and remaining garlic, chopped, in the butter. Season with pepper. Soak the bread crumbs in the milk for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry. Combine in a bowl with the shallots, garlic and prosciutto. Add the egg and allspice and mix thoroughly. Stuff into the chicken and truss.
• After the beef has simmered for one-and-a-half hours, add the chicken. It should cook for two hours. After the chicken has cooked for one-and-a-half hours, add the tongue and garlic sausage. They should cook for half an hour. Remove the marrow from the refrigerator and set aside.
• Ten minutes later, add the potatoes, parsnips and carrots (if you do not have enough room, cook the potatoes separately). They should cook for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the celery and leeks. Cook the vegetables until they are tender (be careful not to overcook them). Meanwhile, toast the baguette slices.
• To serve, slice the meats and arrange them on a large platter. Place the vegetables in attractive piles around the meats. Ladle a little hot broth over everything, and serve immediately. Spread the marrow on hot toast and pass it separately.

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.