french comfort food

Temperatures are dropping fast here, days are drawing in, and family dinner is enjoyed in front of a roaring fire.  No dish could be more typically French and more suited to the winter months that the traditional pot au feu.

We enjoyed this totally delicious meal at friends yesterday evening, and I was reminded just how fantastic, home-cooked, simple food can be.

The beauty of the pot au feu is that although it needs to cook for a long while, it is not labour intensive, and that from the one dish, you can actually create several meals.   There is the pot au feu itself of course, that is the braised meat and vegetables, but beforehand the bone marrow and delicious broth, and with any left overs the most wonderful hachis parmentier or shepherd's pie.

To make a pot au feu I buy several different cuts of meat, I prefer to stick to beef, a beef shank, a piece of rump and a couple of large bones.  You'll also need fresh vegetables: potatoes, carrots, leeks,  small turnips, maybe celeriac; a bouquet garni (parsley, bay leaf and thyme).

Start off by covering the meat with cold water in a large heavy stockpot, bring to the boil then let it simmer for a couple of hours with the bouquet garni added.  Add the peeled vegetables,  and let them cook then add the bone marrow when the vegetables are half cooked.

You want to finish with very tender meat and vegetables, perfectly cooked marrow and a clear flavoursome broth - the secret for this is to to let the dish simmer but never boil.

When everyone is ready to eat, serve first of all bowls of broth, accompanied by small pieces of toasted bread, and the marrow sprinkled with rock salt.

Next serve each guest with a plate of meat and vegetables, accompanied by more broth if desired, and it is very very desirable stuff!

If there is any meat or vegetables left over, then be happy!  then next day the meat can be minced, and topped with pureed potatoes before popping into the oven to make a delicious shepherd's pie.

Comfort food doesn't get much better than this!

Bon appetit and thank you for reading me.