POT AU FEU

Pot au feu is an icon of French cooking and one of the most popular classic
Often, depending on the region in France, an ingredient could be added. It’s only a question of taste.

In this recipe, the idea is to use three different cuts of meat that bring something different to the dish in terms of texture and depth of flavour.

One cut that is on the bone with good layers of fat (rib), a piece of gelatinous meat like the shin or cheek and a lean piece like the brisket.

Serves 6

Ingredients
600g chuck steak or brisket
600g ox cheeks or shin
600g flat rib or oxtail
marrow bone 6 pieces, approx 6cm high (the marrow quantity per person should be the size of a walnut)
2 onions peeled
2 cloves
3 leeks cut into 5cm chunks
bouquet garni
4 large carrots peeled, cut each carrot into three chunks
3 sticks celery cut into 5cm chunks
3 turnips, peeled, cut each turnip in quarters
3 potatoes peeled, cut each potato in 4 large chunks
4 garlic cloves, peeled
4 black peppercorns cracked
To serve
6 slices of grilled sourdough bread
2 garlic cloves
255g cornichons
dijon mustard

Method
Place the met in a large pot and pour 3 litres of cold water in. Season. Bring to the boil, then add the marrow bones. When boiling, lower the heat to simmering point and skim the top of all impurities. Leave for 10 minutes then take out the marrow bones. Extract the marrow from the bones and place in the fridge. Add the bones back to the meat.

Cut the onions across in two, then place the flat side in a dry frying pan  to colour to a dark brown, nearly black. Stick the cloves in the onions and keep aside.

Add all the prepared vegetables except the potatoes to the meat with the garlic the bouquet garni black peppercorns. Leave to simmer for about 3 hours then add the potatoes and leave to simmer for another 30 minutes.

To serve, cut the meat into thick slices, and place on a large serving platter with the vegetables next to it, serve the bouillon in a very hot soup dish.

Grill the bread, rub with the fresh garlic, and then spread the marrow on each slice. Season and place in the oven at 170C/gas mark 3 for 20 seconds. You just want to warm it. If you cook it, the marrow will melt and become oily.

Serve the toast with the cornichons and the mustard.