Authentic French Pot-au-feu Recipe
Authentic French Pot-au-feu Recipe
Impress Your Guests with this Classic French Beef Stew, Pot-au-feu!
Slow-cooked to perfection, this Pot-au-feu boasts incredibly tender beef and vegetables that melt in your mouth. Its clear, deeply flavorful broth is irresistibly savory and comforting, making it a dish you’ll find yourself returning to again and again. It’s a truly charming and elegant French beef stew, perfect for special occasions and sharing with loved ones.
Main Ingredients- 600g beef shank (or beef brisket/chuck)
- 1 potato
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 1 kohlrabi
- 1 carrot
- 110g daikon radish
- 110g cabbage
- 2 sausages (e.g., frankfurters or bratwurst)
- 1 onion
- 7cm celery stalk
- 5 whole cloves
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tsp salt (for seasoning)
- 1 bouquet garni (bundle of thyme, parsley, bay leaves)
- 2.5L lukewarm water
- Warm bread or baguette for serving (optional)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s prepare the onion, which will add a wonderful aroma to the Pot-au-feu. Peel the onion and then stud it with the 5 whole cloves. This step helps infuse the broth with a subtle, deep flavor as it simmers.
Step 2
Next, we’ll create a bouquet garni for added fragrance. Gather 5 sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 sprig of Italian parsley, and 3 bay leaves, and tie them together. A bouquet garni is a bundle of herbs that can be easily removed later, imparting a rich aroma to the dish.
Step 3
Cut the beef shank into generous, bite-sized pieces, about 3-4 cm cubes. Cutting them too small might cause them to disintegrate during the long simmering process, so aim for substantial pieces.
Step 4
Similarly, chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, roughly the same size as the beef. Don’t worry about making them perfectly uniform; slightly irregular shapes add to the rustic charm of this home-style dish.
Step 5
After chopping the vegetables, peel them if necessary. Then, gently round off the sharp edges or corners with your knife. This little detail helps the vegetables maintain their shape better as they cook.
Step 6
This is a crucial step for achieving a clear and clean broth. Peel and wash the sweet potatoes and potatoes thoroughly. Then, soak them in cold water for at least 1 hour to remove excess starch. This pre-soaking prevents the broth from becoming cloudy.
Step 7
Now, let’s begin the simmering. In a large, deep pot (Pot 1), combine 2.5 liters of lukewarm water, the prepared beef shank, the clove-studded onion, and the bouquet garni. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat to low, cover partially (leaving a small vent), and let it simmer gently for 2 hours and 30 minutes. This extended cooking time is key to achieving tender beef and deep flavor.
Step 8
During the simmering process, impurities (scum or foam) may rise to the surface. To ensure a clear and pristine broth, carefully skim off and discard these impurities. This meticulous step significantly enhances the final taste and appearance.
Step 9
After the initial 2 hours and 30 minutes of simmering, it’s time to add the firmer vegetables. Add the chopped carrot, kohlrabi, daikon radish, and celery stalk to the pot. Season the broth with 1 teaspoon of coarse salt and 1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns. Cover the pot again and continue to simmer over low heat for another 1 hour and 10 minutes, allowing these vegetables to become tender.
Step 10
Meanwhile, prepare a second pot (Pot 2). Add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, and sausages. Ladle about 500ml of the beef broth from the main pot (Pot 1) into this second pot. Cover Pot 2 and simmer gently over low heat for 40 minutes until the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cabbage are cooked through and tender.
Step 11
After 40 minutes, carefully remove the cooked vegetables and sausages from Pot 2. Gently transfer these ingredients back into the main pot (Pot 1), which has been simmering for a total of 3 hours and 40 minutes (2.5 hours + 1 hour 10 minutes) and has developed a rich, deep flavor.
Step 12
Finally, let everything simmer together for an additional 20 minutes. This final simmer allows all the flavors to meld beautifully, completing your perfect Pot-au-feu. Serve hot, perhaps with some warmed bread, for a truly satisfying meal!
