Simple Pot Au Feu Recipes

CLASSIC FRENCH POT AU FEU

Steps:

• Enjoy!

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.

THE CHEF STéPHANIE LE QUELLEC'S POT-AU-FEU RECIPE

Steps:

• Rinse the meats under running water, then place them (except for the marrow bones) in a round Le Creuset Dutch oven. Add cold water one and a half times the height. Bring to a boil, the impurities will rise to the surface, then lower the heat and skim (remove all the impurities).
• Peel and wash all the vegetables (except the potatoes), add them whole. Also add the onion studded with cloves, the head of garlic cut in half, the bouillon cubes, the pinch of salt, and the peppercorns.
• Cook over low heat for 3 hours 30 minutes, skimming every 30 minutes. After 3 hours of cooking, add the peeled and halved potatoes and the marrow bones.
• Serve this pot-au-feu with a crispy baguette, old-fashioned mustard, fleur de sel and pepper.

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.

CLASSIC FRENCH POT AU FEU - CROCK POT OR LE CREUSET

Steps:

• Crock Pot:.
• Combine all ingredients with the beef stock and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings. Put the beef on platter and surround with the vegetables. Keep warm. Strain broth, skimming off fat, and add the flour - mix well and heat up gently until thickened. Serve separately in a gravy boat. Slice meat and serve accompanied with pickles and horseradish, French bread and butter.
• Traditional:.
• Brown meat in frying pan, adding salt and pepper. Sprinkle a little flour over the meat while turning over. Place meat into oven proof casserole dish or le Creuset.
• Briefly fry bacon, onions & garlic. Add the carrots and then the leeks and beef stock. Bring to the boil. Put everything into a large le Creuset or casserole dish, adding the turnips and potatoes last.
• Cook at low temperature (150C/300F) for about 5 hours or until the meat falls of the bone.
• Slice meat and serve accompanied with pickles and horseradish, French bread and butter. Serve the thickened jus in a gravy boat.
• Notes:.
• Depending on the meat being used, a Pot au Feu can be very rich. If you would like a leaner version, prepare it the day before and allow to cook overnight. Once cooled the fat will rise to the surface and it can be skimmed off. The dish can then be re-warmed.
• For a Pot au Feu with a Mediterranean flavour, modify the recipe by reducing the amount of meat, increasing the amount of vegetables and adding more herbs.

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:

• For brine:
• Bring first 5 ingredients and 8 cups water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat; let cool to room temperature. Place brisket and short ribs in a large baking dish. Pour brine over to cover completely. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove meat; rinse and set aside.
• For bouquet garni, meats, and vegetables:
• Place first 6 ingredients in center of a triple layer of cheesecloth. Gather up edges; tie with kitchen twine to form a bundle for bouquet garni. Wrap marrow bones in cheesecloth; tie into a bundle with twine. If desired, tie oxtails with twine around circumference to keep meat from falling off bones.
• Place brisket, short ribs, bouquet garni, marrow bones, oxtails, beef bones, veal bones, veal breast, 2 chopped carrots, celery, and onion in a very large heavy pot. Add water to cover meat (about 7 quarts). Bring to a boil, skimming off any scum and fat that rise to the surface. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming occasionally, until short ribs are tender, 2-2 1/2 hours.
• Transfer short ribs to a 13x9x2" baking dish; add 4 cups broth from pot and tent with foil to keep meat warm and moist. Add sausage to pot; continue simmering until sausage is cooked through and remaining meats are tender, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer sausage, brisket, oxtails, and marrow bones to dish with short ribs.
• Place a large strainer over another large pot; strain broth, discarding remaining meats, bones, and other solids in strainer. (You should have about 10 cups broth.) Return broth to a boil; add rutabagas, cabbage, potatoes, and 2" pieces of carrots. Simmer until vegetables are tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes.
• For sauces and garnishes:
• Mix first 5 ingredients in a small bowl to make salsa verde. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. Stir crème fraîche and horseradish in another small bowl; season with salt.
• Transfer vegetables to a platter. Thinly slice brisket against the grain; cut sausage into 2" pieces. Return meats to baking dish.
• Season broth in pot to taste with salt and pepper; divide among bowls. (Reserve broth from meats for another use.) Serve meats and vegetables with salsa verde, horseradish crème fraîche, and both mustards in small bowls alongside. Serve with toasted country bread.

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.

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.