Pot-au-feu
Slow-simmered French beef and marrow broth with root vegetables, served with Dijon and cornichons — plain, honest comfort.
Pot‑au‑feu is France's no‑nonsense bowl of comfort: cheap cuts of beef simmered with marrow and winter roots until the broth is deeply flavoured and the meat is melting. It’s theatrical, humble and utterly satisfying.
Make it on a weekend when you’ve got time to tend a gentle simmer. Skim carefully, char the onion for colour and serve simply with Dijon and cornichons — the contrast of sharp pickle and smooth marrow is what makes it sing.
Ingredients
- 900 g beef shin on the bone — cut into large pieces
- 400 g beef brisket — trim excess fat if very fatty
- 350 g beef marrow bones
- 3 l cold water — to cover the meat
- 10 g sea salt
- 15 ml whole black peppercorns
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 4 parsley stalks
- 1 brown onion — halved
- 400 g carrots — peeled, halved lengthways if large
- 2 leeks — white and pale green parts only, halved lengthways and rinsed
- 2 celery sticks — trimmed
- 300 g turnips — peeled and quartered
- 200 g pearl onions — peeled
- 400 g waxy potatoes — peeled
- 30 g Dijon mustard — to serve
- 80 g cornichons — to serve
- 15 g flatleaf parsley — chopped for garnish
Equipment
- large heavy-based casserole or stockpot
- fine-mesh sieve
- slotted spoon
- kitchen string
Instructions
Blanch the marrow bones to remove blood and impurities: place beef marrow bones in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse bones under cold water and discard that blanching liquid.
Put the beef shin, beef brisket and the blanched beef marrow bones into your casserole or stockpot and pour over cold water to cover. Bring very gently to the simmer — not a rolling boil — and skim off any grey scum for 15 minutes.
Make a bouquet garni: bundle the fresh thyme sprigs, parsley stalks, bay leaves, whole cloves and whole black peppercorns in a small square of muslin or tie together with kitchen string and add to the pot.
Char the brown onion: either place the cut sides under a hot grill until blackened, or char in a dry frying pan on the hob until very dark (about 6–8 minutes). Add the charred onion to the pot.
Return the pot to the hob and simmer very gently, partially covered, for 2 hours 45 minutes until the meat is tender but not falling completely apart. Keep the surface skimmed and the heat low throughout.
Using a slotted spoon, lift out the meat and bones and place on a board or plate. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pan and discard the bouquet garni and solids.
Leave the meat to rest for 15 minutes while you cook the vegetables in the strained stock (see next step). Resting lets the juices redistribute and makes carving neater.
Bring the strained stock back to a gentle simmer. Add the carrots, turnips, leeks, celery sticks, pearl onions and waxy potatoes. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 25–30 minutes.
Briefly rewarm the rested meat in the hot stock for 1–2 minutes if desired, then carve the beef into thick slices and arrange on a platter with the cooked vegetables. Serve with a ladle of clear broth, Dijon mustard, cornichons and a sprinkling of chopped flatleaf parsley.
Tips
- Skim patiently: a clean, clear broth depends on removing scum in the first 15 minutes and topping up as needed.
- Char the onion until almost black for the best colour in the stock — it won’t make the soup taste burnt.
- Rest the meat 15 minutes before carving so juices redistribute; slice against the grain for tender pieces.
- Make ahead: the flavours improve after a day in the fridge — chill, remove the solidified fat, reheat gently and skim.
- Freeze the strained stock in portions for quick future stews or risottos; it keeps well for 3 months.
Substitutions
beef brisket → beef chuck, same quantity
Stays closebeef marrow bones → knuckle bones or oxtail, same quantity
Stays closewaxy potatoes → parsnips or turnip added earlier, same quantity
Noticeably differentDijon mustard → wholegrain mustard, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 1250
- Calories
- 65 g
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 93 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 1200 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make pot‑au‑feu ahead of time?
Yes — it often tastes better the next day. Chill the meat and stock separately, remove the solidified fat from the stock before reheating.
How do I get a clear broth?
Start with cold water, keep a very gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) and skim scum away during the first 10–20 minutes; strain through a fine sieve while hot.
Which beef cuts work best?
Tough, connective cuts like shin, brisket or chuck are ideal — they become silky after long, gentle simmering.
Can I skip the marrow bones?
Yes — the dish will still be excellent, but marrow adds a rich, silky mouthfeel. Use knuckle bones for body if you omit marrow.
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