Pot-au-Feu

Pot-au-feu is beef simmered for hours with carrot, leek and turnip until the broth runs clear and rich. It's the dish that taught France what a good stock is — a Sunday classic built from cheap cuts and patience, and the direct ancestor of nearly every French broth and consommé that followed it.

What it actually is

Tough, well-worked cuts of beef — shin, chuck, short rib — go into a big pot with cold water, brought slowly to a simmer and skimmed carefully so the broth stays clear rather than cloudy. Carrot, leek, turnip, onion studded with cloves and a bouquet of herbs go in partway through, timed so nothing turns to mush before the meat is tender, which can take three hours or more.

The broth is the actual prize. Traditionally it's served first, on its own with a little bread or vermicelli, and only afterward does the meat and vegetables arrive as a second course from the same pot.

How it's served

• In two courses from one pot — the broth first, the meat and vegetables second, coarse salt, mustard and gherkins on the table.
• With bone marrow on toast, if a marrow bone was cooked in the pot, spread and salted at the table.
• Sliced simply, the beef falling apart rather than carved into neat portions.

Writing it on a menu

• Note that it's two servings from one dish; guests unfamiliar with the format may expect one plate, not a broth course followed by a meat course.
• Mention which cuts go into the pot; the mix of shin, chuck and marrow bone is part of what regulars are ordering.
• Say if you serve it with mustard and gherkins as standard condiments, since they're traditional rather than optional garnish.
• Flag that it's a slow, made-to-order dish if you cook it fresh rather than holding a pot; the long simmer is not something to rush.