In Cooking from Every Angle, we hear from our fearless leaders: Food52 co-founders Amanda & Merrill.
Today: Amanda shows us how to make a super-easy 2-course dinner classic -- start planning your party now!
My friend Veronica is Italian, and her husband, Stefan, is French, which means it's impossible to have a bad meal in their house. This is one of many reasons we like to visit. A few weeks ago, they invited us for a weeknight dinner party (the gold standard of brave dinner party hosting, in my view; shows you're truly confident and relaxed), and Stefan cooked.
Except that he didn't look sweaty and tattered like I do when I cook. No, no. He wore a pressed dress shirt and joined everyone for cocktails, disappearing just at the very end to check on matters in the kitchen.
When dinner was ready, we were each served a bowl of golden broth with absolutely nothing in it -- the traditional first course of pot-au-feu. And it was intense brothy goodness. Next up came the beef and vegetables that had cooked in and flavored the broth. Having simmered for a long time, they were slouchy and plain looking, belying their deep flavor. Stefan served them with dishes of whole-grain mustard, cornichons, coarse salt, and baguettes. Lots of passing and dressing of plates ensued -- the perfect social dinner party food. And all of it was prepared a day in advance.
Afterward, we had apple tart, and that was it. A simple braise -- broth, meat and vegetables--and a classic dessert. No need for hors d'oeurves or sides. Low-maintenance pot-au-feu won me over.
When I made the pot-au-feu at home, I followed -- well, sort of -- Judy Rodger's recipe in The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. She has you salt the short ribs a day in advance, and blanch them before braising, two steps I was tempted to skip. But don't: they're worth it, as the short ribs turn out well-seasoned and exceptionally silky. I messed around with the broth, adding star anise (avert your eyes, Stefan!) and swapping out rutabaga for potatoes (you're welcome!). Rodgers has you blend whole-grain mustard with a little of the cooking broth, some vinegar, and walnut oil, making more of a dressing for the beef and vegetables. The dressing's tang is lovely with the fatty short ribs, but you can also just serve the second course with plain mustard. She calls for cornichons; go with whatever pickles you like. Just don't start adding other condiments -- it's not a circus.
Pot-au-Feu
Adapted from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers
Serves 4 to 6
4 pounds short ribs
Salt
3 quarts chicken or beef stock
2 small yellow onions, peeled and halved
1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves
A few black peppercorns, barely cracked
1 whole star anise
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 large carrots
2 medium leeks, light green and white parts quartered lengthwise
3 small potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 medium white turnips, peeled and quartered
Mustard Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon broth from pot-au-feu
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 to 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon walnut oil (optional)
Salt and freshly cracked ground pepper
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
Photos by James Ransom
A New Way to Dinner, co-authored by Food52's founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, is an indispensable playbook for stress-free meal-planning (hint: cook foundational dishes on the weekend and mix and match ‘em through the week).
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24 Comments
Rosana Santos Calambichis, President
BIGCHEFONLINE.com
Pot au feu is the French version of the Spanish dish COCIDO (or the other way around). In fact, COCIDO is the most popular dish of Madrid's traditional cuisine.
It is basically the same principle: you cook together vegetables, meat, and in our case chick peas. Then you eat first of all the soup (probably the most delicious outcome of this), and then a combination of the other products, seasoned with olive oil and vinegar or/and with a souce of tomato and cummin.
It is absolutely gorgeous in cold time.
Best regards and congratulations from a big fan living in Kenya
Every family usually introduces some changes: in my case, we don't like cabagge, so we use any other green vegetable (leeks, e.g.). And serve it in just two stages (soup, and then everything else).
The secret for a good COCIDO is, as usual, the quality of the ingredients and cooking each food category to the right point (i.e., do not overcook vegetables and peas, please).
You may find a lot of pictures in the web. Enjoy!
Reading the recipe I am reminded of the iconic Milanese dish Casoella without the garbanzos. I imagine that the Milanese learned this dish from the Spanish when they were in power. I live with a Roman who is definitely not a lover of cabbage and so like your family I think I will leave it out. Actually it is the garbanzos that attract me to this broth stew. My garbanzos have been soaking overnight and are now simmering away and I will have to decide what direction to go. One last thing, here in the USA I notice that the dried garbanzos are much smaller than the ones I used to buy in Italy. I wonder if we plant a different variety. I like the European ones much more. Thanks again.
Pot au feu is the funnest dish to make, and so easy!
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