Pot au Feu

Name: Pot au Feu
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: 2 pounds lean beef brisket; 1 pound veal shanks (1 to 2 pieces); 4 quarts cold water; 2 medium onions, trimmed but unpeeled; 3 leeks, well rinsed and trimmed; 3 celery stalks, with leaves; 1 pound large carrots, peeled; 5 cloves garlic; 2 bay leaves; 10 black peppercorns; 4 sprigs parsley; 4 chicken legs or thighs; 3/4 pound garlic sausage, preferably unsmoked; 1/2 pound white turnips, peeled; Salt and pepper to taste; 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley; Parsley potatoes (recipe follows); Green sauce (recipe follows); Mustard, horseradish, cornichons and sea salt for garnish

By Florence Fabricant

Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Rating: 4(29)
Comments: Read comments

Featured in: FOOD; Making a Pot au Feu for a Party of Six

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

2pounds lean beef brisket
1pound veal shanks (1 to 2 pieces)
4quarts cold water
2medium onions, trimmed but unpeeled
3leeks, well rinsed and trimmed
3celery stalks, with leaves
1pound large carrots, peeled
5cloves garlic
2bay leaves
10black peppercorns
4sprigs parsley
4chicken legs or thighs
¾pound garlic sausage, preferably unsmoked
½pound white turnips, peeled
Salt and pepper to taste
1tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Parsley potatoes (recipe follows)
Green sauce (recipe follows)
Mustard, horseradish, cornichons and sea salt for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Place the beef and veal in a large pot. Add the water and bring to a boil. Allow to cook at a lively simmer about 10 minutes, skimming the surface thoroughly during this time.
Step 2
Lower heat and add onions, leeks, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and parsley. Cook at a low simmer for two hours.
Step 3
After two hours the meats should be fairly tender. Add the chicken, sausage and turnips. Skim the surface for a few minutes after these ingredients have been added, then cook an hour longer.
Step 4
When the ingredients have finished cooking, strain the contents of the pot by ladling them into a colander suspended over a large bowl. Wash the cooking pot, then pour the broth from the bowl through a very fine strainer back into it. Season the broth to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 5
Remove the meats from the colander and set aside. Discard the leeks, parsley and bay leaves. Peel and quarter the onions. Cut the carrots and celery pieces into large chunks. Quarter the turnips.
Step 6
Arrange the onions, carrots, celery and turnips on a heat-retaining platter and cover with foil. If you are not planning to serve the pot au feu the same day, place all the meats on another platter, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Refrigerate the platter of vegetables overnight. Refrigerate the broth overnight. Remove the ingredients from the refrigerator at least two hours before serving.
Step 7
To serve, cut chunks of the veal off the bone, remove the skin from the chicken and cut the meat from the bones in large sections. Cut the sausage in chunks. Trim all visible fat from the brisket and slice it thin. Arrange the slices on the platter with the other cut meats. Put the pieces of veal bone on the platter. Cover with foil. Place the meat platter and the vegetable platter in a preheated 200 degree oven to warm for an hour.
Step 8
Skim as much fat as possible from broth and reheat gently. Serve broth, with a little chopped flat-leaf parsley on top, in bowls. Pass the platters of meat and vegetables alongside, so guests can help themselves.
Step 9
Serve the boiled potatoes and green sauce alongside and have little dishes of mustard, horseradish, cornichons and coarse sea salt on the table as well.