Spoon Simple
Pot au Feu
France's beloved boiled dinner — beef and vegetables in a clear, fragrant broth served with coarse salt, mustard, and cornichons. Honest, nourishing, and deeply traditional.
Prep 20 min
Cook 3h
Total 3h 20m
Serves 8
Ingredients
Step 1 — Broth and beef
- 3 lbs beef chuck or brisket
- 2 marrow bones (optional)
- 12 cups cold water
- 2 onions (halved)
- 4 carrots (halved)
- 3 leeks (white parts, halved)
- 4 celery stalks
- 1 bouquet garni (thyme, parsley, bay leaf)
- 10 peppercorns
- Salt
Step 2 — Vegetables and serve
- 4 carrots (cut into chunks)
- 4 potatoes (quartered)
- 2 turnips (quartered)
- 1 cabbage (cut into wedges)
- Coarse sea salt
- Dijon mustard
- Cornichons
- Crusty bread
Instructions
- 1
Simmer the broth
Place beef, bones, and cold water in a large pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim foam. Add onions, carrots, leeks, celery, bouquet garni, and peppercorns. Simmer covered 2 hours.
- 2
Add vegetables
Remove beef and strain broth (reserve vegetables from the broth for serving or discard). Return clear broth to pot. Add carrots, potatoes, turnips, and cabbage. Simmer 30 minutes until tender.
- 3
Serve traditionally
Slice beef and arrange on a platter with vegetables. Serve broth in bowls as a first course. Pass coarse salt, mustard, cornichons, and bread alongside the meat.
Nutrition per serving: 420 cal · 38g protein · 28g carbs · 18g fat · 5g fiber
For informational purposes only. Not medical or dietary advice. Verify ingredients for allergens, cooking times, and safe internal temperatures before serving.
