POT AU FEU

Pot Au Feu image

Provided by Moira Hodgson

Time 9h

Yield 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 29

Ingredients

4 pounds marrow bones
3 pounds veal or beef neck bones
1 onion, quartered
4 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
Herb bouquet (parsley, bay leaf and thyme tied in a cheesecloth)
Freshly ground pepper
3 cloves garlic
4 pounds beef brisket, tied in one piece
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon (or 1 tablespoon dried)
Freshly ground pepper
1 3- to 4-pound chicken
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 shallots
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 cup milk
1/4 pound prosciutto, diced
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 calf's tongue, cooked
1 pound garlic sausage, in one piece
10 medium potatoes, peeled
4 parsnips, peeled and halved
6 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
4 stalks celery, cut into 3-inch pieces
6 leeks, thoroughly washed, cut in half lengthwise
1 French baguette, sliced and toasted

Steps:

The day before: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the bones in a large roasting pan. Roast until browned on all sides. Place in a large stock pot with eight quarts water, onion, carrot, celery and herb bouquet. Season with pepper and simmer for four hours, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Drain, reserving the marrow bones. Cool the stock, strain it and refrigerate. Remove the marrow from the bones, place it in a container and refrigerate.
Chop two cloves garlic in thin slivers. Lard the beef brisket with small pieces of the garlic and tarragon leaves and season with pepper. Wrap and refrigerate overnight. Rub the chicken with lemon juice and put thyme leaves under the breast skin and season the cavity with pepper. Wrap and refrigerate.
The day of serving: Skim the fat from the stock. Bring the stock to simmer, add the beef and simmer gently for one-and-a-half hours.
Meanwhile, make the stuffing for the chicken. Soften the shallots and remaining garlic, chopped, in the butter. Season with pepper. Soak the bread crumbs in the milk for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry. Combine in a bowl with the shallots, garlic and prosciutto. Add the egg and allspice and mix thoroughly. Stuff into the chicken and truss.
After the beef has simmered for one-and-a-half hours, add the chicken. It should cook for two hours. After the chicken has cooked for one-and-a-half hours, add the tongue and garlic sausage. They should cook for half an hour. Remove the marrow from the refrigerator and set aside.
Ten minutes later, add the potatoes, parsnips and carrots (if you do not have enough room, cook the potatoes separately). They should cook for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the celery and leeks. Cook the vegetables until they are tender (be careful not to overcook them). Meanwhile, toast the baguette slices.
To serve, slice the meats and arrange them on a large platter. Place the vegetables in attractive piles around the meats. Ladle a little hot broth over everything, and serve immediately. Spread the marrow on hot toast and pass it separately.