classic french pot au feu crock pot or le creuset
yummy
Cuisine
CLASSIC FRENCH POT AU FEU - CROCK POT OR LE CREUSET
"Pot au Feu is French for “pot on the fire”. In other words, a stew or stock pot which is left cooking over the fire. In previous times, it may simply have been a cooking pot which was left over the fire, into which was thrown whatever food and scraps happened to be available. Often the meat was either scraps, or relatively poor cuts which needed a long time to cook in order to be tender. In historical terms, it was a dish for relatively poor people.
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄2kg beef, with bone
- 300g lardons or 300 bacon, cut into cubes
- 4 -6small onions, peeled
- 3garlic cloves, minced
- 4medium sized carrots, peeled and left whole
- 4leeks, washed and cut in half
- 4turnips, peeled
- 4large potatoes, peeled & halved
- bouquet garni or 1 bay leaf
- 2sprigs fresh parsley
- 1sprig fresh thyme
- 200ml beef stock
- all-purpose flour
Direction
- Combine all ingredients with the beef stock and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings. Put the beef on platter and surround with the vegetables. Keep warm. Strain broth, skimming off fat, and add the flour - mix well and heat up gently until thickened. Serve separately in a gravy boat. Slice meat and serve accompanied with pickles and horseradish, French bread and butter.
- Brown meat in frying pan, adding salt and pepper. Sprinkle a little flour over the meat while turning over. Place meat into oven proof casserole dish or le Creuset.
- Briefly fry bacon, onions & garlic. Add the carrots and then the leeks and beef stock. Bring to the boil. Put everything into a large le Creuset or casserole dish, adding the turnips and potatoes last.
- Cook at low temperature (150C/300F) for about 5 hours or until the meat falls of the bone.
- Slice meat and serve accompanied with pickles and horseradish, French bread and butter. Serve the thickened jus in a gravy boat.