Pot au feu, a culinary gem originating from France, is a classic stew that showcases the beauty of simplicity and wholesome ingredients. This beloved dish has been passed down through generations, cherished for its comforting warmth and ability to bring families and friends together. As you embark on a culinary journey to recreate this timeless masterpiece, let us guide you through the essential steps, ensuring that your pot au feu will be a symphony of flavors and textures, a testament to the enduring legacy of French cuisine.
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
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 (POT ON THE FIRE)
This is one of my contributions for the French region in the Zaar World Tour. I haven't tried it yet but I plan to soon and I think it would be a nice dish to serve in the Fall. History: 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, one 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) which have either marrow or cartilage (or both, depending on which bones are used), vegetables (such as carrots, onions, leeks, turnips) and spices. Due to concerns about CJD, this recipe excludes bones.
Provided by Little Bee
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 5h20m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Brown meat in frying pan, adding salt and pepper. Sprinkle a little flour over the meat while turning over. Place meat into oven proofed casserole or even better into a slow cooker.
- Briefly fry bacon, onions, garlic, carrots, than add tomatoes, leek and beef stock. Bring to the boil and add to casserole or slow cooker.
- Cook at low temperature (150 Celsius) for about 5 hours or until the meat falls of the bone.
- Serve with potatoes (boiled or fried).
- 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.
- Pot au Feu is often served with mustard and course salt.
- After removing and serving the meat and vegetables, there will be a delicious sauce left over. This can be used for making soup, as a base for a sauce or for cooking vegetables inches.
- 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 herbs.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 2791.2, Fat 277.2, SaturatedFat 112.1, Cholesterol 390.1, Sodium 802.6, Carbohydrate 32.5, Fiber 6.8, Sugar 14.6, Protein 41.3
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
POT AU FEU
Provided by Moira Hodgson
Categories dinner, project, main course
Time 9h
Yield 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 29
Steps:
- The day before: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the bones in a large roasting pan. Roast until browned on all sides. Place in a large stock pot with eight quarts water, onion, carrot, celery and herb bouquet. Season with pepper and simmer for four hours, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Drain, reserving the marrow bones. Cool the stock, strain it and refrigerate. Remove the marrow from the bones, place it in a container and refrigerate.
- Chop two cloves garlic in thin slivers. Lard the beef brisket with small pieces of the garlic and tarragon leaves and season with pepper. Wrap and refrigerate overnight. Rub the chicken with lemon juice and put thyme leaves under the breast skin and season the cavity with pepper. Wrap and refrigerate.
- The day of serving: Skim the fat from the stock. Bring the stock to simmer, add the beef and simmer gently for one-and-a-half hours.
- Meanwhile, make the stuffing for the chicken. Soften the shallots and remaining garlic, chopped, in the butter. Season with pepper. Soak the bread crumbs in the milk for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry. Combine in a bowl with the shallots, garlic and prosciutto. Add the egg and allspice and mix thoroughly. Stuff into the chicken and truss.
- After the beef has simmered for one-and-a-half hours, add the chicken. It should cook for two hours. After the chicken has cooked for one-and-a-half hours, add the tongue and garlic sausage. They should cook for half an hour. Remove the marrow from the refrigerator and set aside.
- Ten minutes later, add the potatoes, parsnips and carrots (if you do not have enough room, cook the potatoes separately). They should cook for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the celery and leeks. Cook the vegetables until they are tender (be careful not to overcook them). Meanwhile, toast the baguette slices.
- To serve, slice the meats and arrange them on a large platter. Place the vegetables in attractive piles around the meats. Ladle a little hot broth over everything, and serve immediately. Spread the marrow on hot toast and pass it separately.
CHICKEN POT-AU-FEU
This classic French recipe calls for poussins, which are very small young chickens and produce tender meat.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Rinse poussins; pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Place 4 thyme sprigs into each cavity. Carefully tie legs together with kitchen twine. Set aside.
- Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add onions, and cook until skins soften, about 3 minutes. Remove onions with a slotted spoon, and rinse. Trim root ends, and remove skins.
- Stir together stock, wine, onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, garlic, peppercorns, and 2 teaspoons salt in a large, heavy stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Gently add poussins, breast side down. Cover, and cook 1 hour. Place a poussin in each of 4 serving bowls; divide broth and vegetables evenly among the bowls. Garnish each bowl with chervil, and sprinkle with pepper.
Tips:
- Choose the right cut of beef. A chuck roast or brisket is a good choice for pot au feu. These cuts are tough, but they become tender when they are cooked slowly in liquid.
- Sear the beef before braising it. This will help to develop flavor and color.
- Use a variety of vegetables in your pot au feu. Carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes are all classic choices.
- Add herbs and spices to the pot au feu for extra flavor. Thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns are all good options.
- Cook the pot au feu until the beef is fall-apart tender. This will take at least 2 hours, but it may take longer depending on the cut of beef you are using.
- Serve the pot au feu with a side of crusty bread or mashed potatoes.
Conclusion:
Pot au feu is a classic French dish that is perfect for a cold winter day. It is a hearty and flavorful stew that is easy to make. With a few simple tips, you can make a pot au feu that your family and friends will love.
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