Pot-au-feu, a classic French dish, is a hearty and flavorful stew that showcases the essence of French cuisine. This traditional dish is made with a combination of beef, vegetables, and herbs, simmered together in a savory broth. The beef, typically a chuck roast or brisket, becomes tender and succulent as it cooks, absorbing the rich flavors of the broth. The vegetables, such as carrots, celery, turnips, and leeks, add sweetness and texture to the stew, while herbs like thyme, bay leaf, and parsley provide aromatic notes. Pot-au-feu is typically served with a side of crusty bread or mashed potatoes, making it a perfect comfort food for a chilly day.
In this article, we bring you a selection of pot-au-feu recipes that capture the true spirit of this French classic. From the traditional beef-based pot-au-feu to variations featuring lamb, chicken, and even vegetarian options, our collection offers something for every taste and preference. Each recipe provides detailed instructions, ensuring that you can recreate this delightful dish at home with ease. Whether you're a seasoned cook or a beginner looking to explore French cuisine, our pot-au-feu recipes will guide you through the process of creating a flavorful and satisfying stew that will impress your family and friends.
CLASSIC FRENCH POT AU FEU
Steps:
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1737 kcal, Carbohydrate 68 g, Cholesterol 334 mg, Fiber 8 g, Protein 95 g, SaturatedFat 55 g, Sodium 1418 mg, Sugar 11 g, Fat 120 g, ServingSize 8 to 10 servings, UnsaturatedFat 0 g
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
This hearty stew throws in everything but the kitchen sink. You should have leftovers.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken
Number Of Ingredients 29
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.
CLASSIC FRENCH POT AU FEU - CROCK POT OR LE CREUSET
Pot au Feu is French for "pot on the fire". In other words, a stew or stock pot which is left cooking over the fire. In previous times, it may simply have been a cooking pot which was left over the fire, into which was thrown whatever food and scraps happened to be available. Often the meat was either scraps, or relatively poor cuts which needed a long time to cook in order to be tender. In historical terms, it was a dish for relatively poor people. Today in France, you can buy "pot au feu" meat. Expect this to be meat which reflects the historical background of this dish: relatively inexpensive and inferior cuts, which will soften with long slow cooking. While such meat is quite adequate for a Pot au Feu, feel free to use better cuts if you wish. As a Pot au Feu is historically a stew-like dish of whatever meat and vegetables were available, there are no absolute guidelines about what it should contain. However, in general it will contain beef, some bones (such as ox-tail), vegetables (such as potatoes, carrots, onions, leeks, turnips) and herbs.
Provided by French Tart
Categories Stew
Time 10h40m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 2960.2, Fat 266.9, SaturatedFat 110.7, Cholesterol 371.2, Sodium 453.4, Carbohydrate 98.1, Fiber 14.9, Sugar 16.9, Protein 42.8
Tips:
- Choose high-quality beef for the best flavor and texture. Look for well-marbled pieces with a good amount of connective tissue, such as chuck roast or brisket.
- Brown the beef in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat before adding the other ingredients. This will help to develop a rich, flavorful broth.
- Use a variety of vegetables in your pot-au-feu. Some good options include carrots, celery, onions, leeks, parsnips, turnips, and potatoes. You can also add herbs and spices to taste.
- Simmer the pot-au-feu for at least 2 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender. The longer you simmer it, the more flavorful the broth will be.
- Serve the pot-au-feu with a variety of accompaniments, such as mashed potatoes, rice, or crusty bread. You can also add a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche to each bowl.
Conclusion:
Pot-au-feu is a classic French stew that is both hearty and flavorful. It is a great way to use up leftover beef and vegetables, and it can be easily tailored to your own taste preferences. Whether you serve it as a main course or as a soup, pot-au-feu is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
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