Preparation:
Clean vegetables and cut them into desired size.
In a large soup kettle, place beef, knuckle, bones, and salt. Cover with water. Bring to boil, then simmer for 2 hours, skimming the scum off frequently. Add vegetables, onion, bay leaf, thyme, and garlic, and continue simmering for 1 1/2 hours longer. Skim fat off bouillon. Serve bouillon with thin slices of dry French bread.
Meat and vegetables are served as main course. Meat is cut into thin slices and served surrounded by the vegetables.
Comments: Pot-au-feu is more than a soup. It is a French national institution. In many families there is a "Pot-au-Feu Day" each week. The funny part about it is that everybody accepts it but nobody entirely approves of it, though it may be for opposite reasons.
In this country we can forget about the sentimental connotation of pot-au-feu and treat it as any other good dish without feeling an obligation to serve it regularly. When eaten less often it is a truly magnificent meal. The bouillon is excellent. The meat and vegetables are delicious when cooked to the exact degree of perfection and served with an appetizing variety of mustard, pickles, relishes, etc. With a salad, a chunk of cheese, and a glass of wine, this makes a well-balanced satisfying, and nourishing meal.
Recipe Source: THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING by Fernande Garvin |
