Pot Au Feu Boiled Dinner

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Bring the stock to the boil in a large pot with the optional bones and scraps, the herb bouquet, and the aromatic vegetables. Meanwhile, tie the meat into a neat shape with white cotton twine, and place it in the pot, adding water if necessary to cover by 1 inch. Bring to the simmer, skim off surface scum for several minutes, then cover the pot loosely and let simmer slowly until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork—cut off and eat a piece to be sure. If some pieces are done early, remove to a bowl and cover with a little of the cooking stock. When the meat is done, remove it from the pot, strain and degrease the cooking stock, correct seasoning, and return it to the pot with the meat. The stew will keep warm for a good hour before serving, or may be reheated, loosely covered.

   Step 2

   Meanwhile, cook separately whatever vegetables you have chosen in a bit of the cooking stock, and when you are ready to serve, drain their cooking liquids into a saucepan. Then add a sufficient quantity of the cooking liquid to make a rich stock to serve with your pot au feu. Slice the meat, surround with the vegetables, and baste with the stock, pouring the rest into a sauceboat to pass at the table. Accompany, if you wish, with French cornichons, coarse salt, and horseradish sauce (see page 51).

2. VARIATIONS

   Step 3

   OTHER MEATS. Include or substitute other meats in the stew, such as shoulder of pork or veal, or Polish sausage. Or you may wish to use a fine stewing hen, which you can include with the beef or cook separately, in this latter case using chicken rather than beef stock.

   Step 4

   BLANQUETTE OF VEAL. For 4 to 5 pounds of real pale-pink special-fed veal (see note) cut into 2-inch chunks (a combination of boneless and bone-in chuck, shank, neck, and breast), serving 6 people. Simmering time: about 1 1/2 hours. Bring the veal to the simmer for 2 to 3 minutes in a large pot of water until the scum ceases to rise. Drain. Wash off the veal and the pot, return veal to pot, then pour in veal, chicken, or turkey stock (pages 4–5) or canned chicken broth and water to cover by 1/2 inch. Add a large peeled and chopped onion, a peeled chopped carrot, a large chopped celery stalk, and a small herb bouquet minus garlic. Salt lightly, cover the pot loosely, and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, until meat is fork-tender. Drain stock into a saucepan and return meat to pot. Degrease cooking liquid, and boil down rapidly until reduced to about 3 cups. Meanwhile, make a velouté sauce (page 13) with 4 tablespoons butter, 5 tablespoons flour, and the cooking liquid, enriching it, if you wish, with a little cream. Simmer the veal to warm briefly in the sauce along with 24 small white-braised onions (page 28) and 1/2 pound of small simmered mushrooms (page 32).

   Step 5

   BLANQUETTE OF CHICKEN OR TURKEY. Use cut-up roasting or stewing chicken, or turkey parts, cooking them the same way.

3. Herb Bouquet

   Step 6

   For a large herb bouquet, tie 8 parsley sprigs, 1 large imported bay leaf, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 4 whole cloves or allspice berries, and 3 large cloves of smashed unpeeled garlic together in washed cheesecloth. Sometimes the garlic should be omitted, and you can substitute celery leaves and/or split leeks.

4. Note

   Step 7

   “Real” veal is a calf either fed on mother’s milk or on milk by-products. “Free-range” veal, which is actually “baby beef,” produces an ugly gray-brown blanquette and an inferior sauce. It will, however, make an acceptable brown stew, using the following beef bourguignon system.