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French Pot-au-Feu
Melt in a large saucepan a good-sized lump of butter, and place in some pieces of meat (almost any kind of trimmings from joints will do), which have been well washed or an old fowl or rabbit. Place the lid on the pan and shake the contents over a fire for a few minutes, then move it to one side and pour in some boiling water, judging the quantity by that of the meat, and simmer gently at the edge of the fire for three or four hours, when some vegetables may be added, such as carrots, turnip, leeks, onions, celery, etc., all nicely pared; season well, letting the whole stew until the vegetables have become quite tender, a bunch of sweet herbs tied in a bag should be added. When done, take out the vegetables and place them in a soup tureen, straining the liquor through a fine sieve over them, and serve with a plate of sippets of toast.
A frugal broth built from trimmings rather than a named cut, written for a coal range where a pot could be shifted to a cooler spot. Two things carry it: heat low enough that the liquid never truly boils, and enough time for tough meat to give up its gelatin.
- Never let it boil"Simmer gently at the edge of the fire" means around 180-190F, with the surface barely trembling. A rolling boil emulsifies fat into the liquid and clouds it permanently, which is fatal to a clear pot-au-feu broth. On a gas or electric hob, use the smallest burner at its lowest setting, or hold it at 200F in a 250F oven.
- "Almost any kind of trimmings"Read this as collagen-rich cuts: beef shin, oxtail, short rib, shank, a marrow bone, plus some scraps of chuck. Lean muscle alone gives a thin, gray broth. An "old fowl" is a stewing hen, sold as such at some butchers and Asian markets; a supermarket roaster will fall apart in under two hours.
- RabbitWhole rabbit runs 2.5-3 lb and is sold frozen at many butchers. It cooks faster than beef -- add it to the pot for the last 60-90 minutes rather than at the start.
- Judging the waterCover the meat by about two inches, which for 3 lb of meat and bone means roughly 3 quarts. Top up with boiling water if the meat surfaces during the long simmer; cold water added mid-cook stalls the pot.
- Skim, even though it is not mentionedThe brief covered start in butter is closer to a sweat than a browning, and a raft of gray foam will still rise in the first twenty minutes once the water goes in. Lift it off with a shallow spoon or the finished broth will taste muddy.
- Sweet herbs in a bagThis is a bouquet garni: parsley stems, thyme, a bay leaf, tied in cheesecloth. Add it with the vegetables, not at the start -- three hours of simmering leaves thyme and bay tasting dusty and bitter.
- Vegetable timingCarrots, turnip and onion want 40-50 minutes; leeks and celery 20-25. Cut them in large lengths and add them in stages so they arrive at the table intact rather than as pulp.
- Salt late"Season well" once the volume has stopped dropping. Salting at the outset, then reducing for four hours, leaves the broth harsh.
- SippetsSmall triangles or half-inch cubes of bread, toasted or fried in butter and served alongside to drop into the bowl. About two slices of firm white bread per person.
- What happens to the meatThe recipe tureens only the vegetables and strained broth. Serve the meat separately as a second course, sliced, with coarse salt, mustard, cornichons and horseradish -- the traditional French handling.
Pot-au-feu -- "pot on the fire" -- is the domestic ancestor of French restaurant cooking: one vessel kept simmering at the hearth's edge, fed with meat scraps and root vegetables, yielding a broth for the first course and boiled beef for the second. The instruction to move the pan "to one side" of the fire points to the equipment: on a coal or wood range, heat was regulated by position rather than by a dial, and the cool corner of the stovetop was where a cook parked anything that needed hours without boiling. The butter-and-lid start here is a departure from strict French practice, which starts the meat in cold water to draw out maximum flavor into the broth; searing first gives a richer, darker liquid at some cost to clarity.