"𝐏𝐨𝐭-𝐚𝐮-𝐅𝐞𝐮"

 "𝐏𝐨𝐭-𝐚𝐮-𝐅𝐞𝐮"

"Pot-au-feu" translates to "pot on the fire".

Note To Readers: This has been written by friend Wronski of "Wronski's Wramblings" on the Web. As stated in the boilerplate on the home page there, well, the gentleman "wrambles". Be advised. It's worth it, but it takes some holding onto.

Wronski writes ...

I cooked a big hearty meal for my birthday yesterday, August 31. "Pot-au-feu." It's very basic cooking, but uniquely delicious at the same time. I could have had a Steak, Sushi, a big Thali. I cook what I have on hand, shop for what I might like to cook in the future; of course, also shop for what is needed in the pantry. I saw a photo image and just got the notion to cook up a pot of what was on hand. Turns out, everything called for; one small exception. I'll mention it later, no big deal. Turned out just like it looks in the photograph above. Tasty. The broth mysterious. I get to that later too, very surprising. 

So, here's the deal ...

It's the quintessential Peasant dish. You got a fire. You got a pot. You got some biddles. That's the dish!

You could make the case that Peasant cooking is the most sublime. Close to the source sort of idea. And, just things tasting like the things taste. Who's so up to here with all the multi-spiced and flavored "innovations"? Don't get me started on how you're supposed to eat a Hamburger what's six inches up off the plate!

You could say, hey, that's just a soup ... or, a stew! Sure. Of course. But, those French! "Pot-au-feu." They have to go and make it a thing. If you want to understand the French, just consider the Eiffel Tower. What's it for? Who knows. But, isn't it loverly.

Okay, so what's the thing what makes it "Pot-au-feu". An assortment of rootish type vegetables. Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, and some sturdy partners such as Cabbage, Celery and Leeks. Some sweet Peppers if you got 'em. You could put in a Fennel bulb and Celery or Parsley root too.

Meat. Apparently the dish is based on using an inexpensive cut of beef. "Peasant." Also a hunk of some fatty smoked Pork piece and Sausage. You may have noticed the "...ski" at the end of my surname, so you can guess the kind of Sausage what's in mine.

But, here's the kicker. That Onion? You stud it with whole Cloves. It's referred to as oignon piqué, "pricked Onion". The Clove flavors the broth in a kind of catalytic chemistry. Raison d'etre — even those slurpy French like to keep things tidy ... The Cloves studded into the whole Onion are easy to remove; as opposed to bits and pieces floating in the broth. So Ladies, if hubby is a bit of a "prick" give him the chore of sticking it to the Onion. It takes some muscle. And you should be only doing the dainty kinds of things in the kitchen anyway. Am I right? Or, am I right! [That's some post-feminist humor, so don't get your panties all up in a bunch over it.] [That's what's called "double tap" humor.]

Put it all in a pot with lots of pure Water. Cook it until the Meat is tender. If, like in my dish, you're not including something Beefy, then cook until the vegetables are tender. The smoked Pork thingy and the Kielbasa are only needing to be heated through; usually come precooked. 

So that's all's there is to it. BTW the broth enriched by the Pork is distinctive for also having that waft of Cloves on the palate. Very alchemical. I'm not a big Clove fan, but in this dish with those plain vegetables, it works. It lingers. Like a post-coital glow on a lazy afternoon in a tucked away Parisian neighborhood in an attic apartment overlooking the city, with the Eiffel Tower in all it's erect glory. A big ol' ashtray with a coupla packs of Gauloises. Maybe some nice Armagnac.

Hats off to those French!