Pot-au-feu
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the broth
Place the meat in a pot and cover with water.
Heat the water until it is hot but not boiling.
Remove any scum that forms on the surface.
Add salt, flavoring vegetables, and herbs once the scum is removed.
Simmer
Simmer the meat gently, avoiding a rapid boil.
Maintain a uniform heat to keep the water gently bubbling.
Cook until the meat is tender and fully cooked.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Meat (hump or ham)
- Provides the main flavor and becomes tender as it cooks slowly in the broth.
- Flavoring vegetables
- Release aroma and sweetness into the broth, flavoring both the liquid and the meat.
- Herbs
- Add aroma to the broth as they infuse during the gentle simmer.
The step that matters
Simmer gently, avoiding a rapid boil. A hard boil toughens the meat's proteins and makes the broth cloudy. Gentle, steady bubbling keeps the meat tender and the broth clear.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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