Pot au Feu

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean beef brisket
• 1 pound veal shanks (1 to 2 pieces)
• 4 quarts cold water
• 2 medium onions, trimmed but unpeeled
• 3 leeks, well rinsed and trimmed
• 3 celery stalks, with leaves
• 1 pound large carrots, peeled
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 black peppercorns
• 4 sprigs parsley
• 4 chicken legs or thighs
• ¾ pound garlic sausage, preferably unsmoked
• ½ pound white turnips, peeled
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Parsley potatoes (recipe follows)
• Green sauce (recipe follows)
• Mustard, horseradish, cornichons and sea salt for garnish

6 to 8 servings

Preparation

1. Place the beef and veal in a large pot. Add the water and bring to a boil. Allow to cook at a lively simmer about 10 minutes, skimming the surface thoroughly during this time.
2. Lower heat and add onions, leeks, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and parsley. Cook at a low simmer for two hours.
3. After two hours the meats should be fairly tender. Add the chicken, sausage and turnips. Skim the surface for a few minutes after these ingredients have been added, then cook an hour longer.
4. When the ingredients have finished cooking, strain the contents of the pot by ladling them into a colander suspended over a large bowl. Wash the cooking pot, then pour the broth from the bowl through a very fine strainer back into it. Season the broth to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Remove the meats from the colander and set aside. Discard the leeks, parsley and bay leaves. Peel and quarter the onions. Cut the carrots and celery pieces into large chunks. Quarter the turnips.
6. Arrange the onions, carrots, celery and turnips on a heat-retaining platter and cover with foil. If you are not planning to serve the pot au feu the same day, place all the meats on another platter, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Refrigerate the platter of vegetables overnight. Refrigerate the broth overnight. Remove the ingredients from the refrigerator at least two hours before serving.
7. To serve, cut chunks of the veal off the bone, remove the skin from the chicken and cut the meat from the bones in large sections. Cut the sausage in chunks. Trim all visible fat from the brisket and slice it thin. Arrange the slices on the platter with the other cut meats. Put the pieces of veal bone on the platter. Cover with foil. Place the meat platter and the vegetable platter in a preheated 200 degree oven to warm for an hour.
8. Skim as much fat as possible from broth and reheat gently. Serve broth, with a little chopped flat-leaf parsley on top, in bowls. Pass the platters of meat and vegetables alongside, so guests can help themselves.
9. Serve the boiled potatoes and green sauce alongside and have little dishes of mustard, horseradish, cornichons and coarse sea salt on the table as well.