Pot-au-feu

Pot-au-feu(/ˌpɒtoʊˈfɜːr/,French:[pɔt‿ofø];lit.'pot on the fire') is aFrenchdish of slowly boiled meat and vegetables, usually served as two courses: first the broth (bouillon) and then the meat (bouilli) and vegetables. The dish is familiar throughout France and has many regional variations. The best-known have beef as the main meat, but pork, chicken, and sausage are also used.
The Oxford Companion to Foodcallspot-au-feu"a dish symbolic of French cuisine and a meal in itself";thechefRaymond Blanchas called it "the quintessence of French family cuisine ... the most celebrated dish in France, [which] honours the tables of the rich and poor alike";and the AmericanNational Geographicmagazine has termed it thenational dishof France.
TheDictionnaire de l'Académie françaisedates the termpot-au-feuto the 17th century.In 1600, the king of France,Henry IV, declared, "there shall be no peasant in my kingdom who lacks the means to have a hen in his pot."A one-pot stew was a staple of French cooking, and the traditional recipe forpoule-au-pot– also known aspot-au-feu à la béarnaise– resembles that forpot-au-feu.
One batch ofpot-au-feuwas maintained as aperpetual stewinPerpignanfrom the 15th century untilWorld War II.
The main ingredient in most versions ofpot-au-feuis meat. Many recipes specify more than one cut of beef to give both the broth and the cooked meat the required flavour and consistency.Elizabeth Davidwrites thatshin, because of its gelatinous properties, is good for thebouillonbut produces a mediocrebouilli, whereas a cut such assilversidecooks well for thebouilli.For a largepot-au-feu,it is practicable to use both those cuts or a mixture of others.Paul Bocusecalls for six different cuts:blade,brisket,entrecôte,oxtail,rib, and shin.Some recipes add amarrow bone, to give marrow to spread on the bread served with the broth.Some recipes addox liverto improve the clarity of the broth.
The inclusion of cabbage divides opinion; David comments that it is frequently encountered in France, but in her view, it "utterly wrecks" apot-au-feu;Madame Saint-Angetakes a similar view.Blanc,Édouard de Pomiane, andAuguste Escoffierinclude it;  Bocuse,Alain Ducasse, andJoël Robuchonomit it,as doSimone Beck,Louisette Bertholle, andJulia Child, authors ofMastering the Art of French Cooking.As well as abouquet garni– traditionally made ofparsley,thymeandbay– an onion studded withclovesmay be added to the pot.
Regional variations include:
Generally, the broth (bouillon) is served first. It is often enriched with rice or pasta, andcroutonsand grated cheese may be added, before it is served withFrench bread.The meat (bouilli) and the vegetables are served next. Condiments may include, among other options, coarse salt,mustard,capers, pickledgherkins, pickledsamphireandhorseradish– grated or in a sauce.
Sauces served with thebouillimay includetomato sauce,Sauce gribiche, anAlsaciennesauce (hard-boiled egg mayonnaise with herbs, capers and some of the bouillon), sauce Nénette(cream reduced by simmering and flavoured with mustard and tomato), or sauce Suprême(aveloutémade with some of the bouillon and enriched with cream).
Pot-au-feubroth may also be used for cooking vegetables or pasta. Ready-to-use concentrated cubes are available to make what purports to bepot-au-feubroth when water is added.
Other countries have similar dishes with local ingredients. The Vietnamese dishphohas been said to be inspired by French cuisine in formerFrench Indochina, with a possible etymology for the name being a phonetic respelling of the Frenchfeu.