Free Cooking Recipes

800g (13/4 lb) silverside
500g (18 oz) topside on the bone
500g (18 oz) shoulder of beef  600g (21 oz) shoulder of lamb  600g (21 oz) leg of veal
200g (7 oz) lean bacon
1 onion spiked with 3 cloves  3 turnips
8 leeks
8 carrots
2 tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
2 celery sticks
6 juniper berries
6 black peppercorns
200ml (7 fl oz) dry white wine

Directions:

1. Pour 4 litres (7 pints) cold water into a large saucepan and add the topside on the bone and shoulder of beef. Bring to the boil slowly, over a low heat. Skim, then add the silverside, lamb, veal and bacon. Bring back to the boil and skim carefully, then add salt and wine. Tie together the thyme, bay leaf and celery and add this bouquet garni to the pan along with the spiked onion, unpeeled garlic, juniper berries and peppercorns.

2. When the water boils, lower the heat so that it simmers gently for 11/2 hours.

3. At the end of this time, peel and wash the turnips, carrots and leeks. Remove most of the green of the leeks and tie together the white parts. Plunge these vegetables into the pan along with the unpeeled, washed tomatoes. Continue to cook for 11/2 to 2 hours, until all the meat is tender.

4. When the pot-au-feu is ready, sieve the liquid, skim off the fat and serve in a soup bowl. Put the meats — except the topside and the shoulder, which will be served after the other meats — on a hot serving dish. Surround with the vegetables and serve immediately.
5. Traditionally, this is served with a salad of chickpeas dressed with wine vinegar and olive oil, capers, gherkins and black olives and served lukewarm, and with a tomato sauce. Or you could cook some thin spaghetti in the stock to accompany the meat and vegetables.