Pot-au-feu

Translating as pot on the fire, this classic stew is one of France's most celebrated dishes. Meaty and flavoursome, it has graced the tables of both the rich and the poor since medieval times, without discrimination. Its charm lies in its simplicity - no airs and graces here, this one-pot-wonder is full of solid, hearty ingredients, making it the ultimate slow food dish. The different cuts of meat used add complexity to both the flavour and the texture of the soup, and it needs nothing more than some crusty bread to mop up all the juices.

• makes

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  3:10 hours

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 700 g beef short ribs, rinsed
• 500 g beef shin, rinsed
• 3 marrow bones
• 400 g baby carrots, scrubbed, trimmed
• 6 pickling onions
• 8 chat potatoes
• 550 g savoy cabbage, cut into wedges
• 6 baby turnips
• 1 leek trimmed, cut into pieces
• cornichons and hot mustard, to serve

Bouquet garni

• 2 bay leaves
• 6 black peppercorns
• 4 parsley stalks
• 3 cloves

Drink match 2011 Abbotts and Delaunay Alto Straus Carignan, Mivervois, France ($40)

Instructions

Tie each rib individually with kitchen string, tying around the meat to secure it to the bone. Blanch in a pan of boiling water for 1 minute, then drain. Place ribs and beef shin in a large saucepan, cover with 4 L water and bring to the boil over high heat, occasionally skimming any impurities that rise to the surface.

To make bouquet garni, place bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley stalks and cloves in a pouch of muslin cloth and tie with kitchen string to enclose. Add bouquet garni to pan, ensuring it is submerged. Reduce heat to low, then cover and cook for 2 hours. Add marrow bones, carrots, onions, potatoes, cabbage, turnips and leek. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour or until meat is tender and vegetables are cooked. Discard bouquet garni and season with salt and pepper. Serve with cornichons and hot mustard.

Photography Brett Stevens

As seen in Feast magazine, October 2013, Issue 25. For more recipes and articles, pick up a copy of this month's Feast magazine or check out our great subscriptions offers here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.