Classic pot-au-feu recipe (Quebec's boiled beef & vegetable stew) (2024)

FAQs

What is a traditional French pot-au-feu made of? ›

What is pot-au-feu made of? The iconic French dish pot-au-feu, or "pot on the fire," is a stew composed of meat — typically an assortment of beef cuts — along with carrots, potatoes, and an array of other vegetables.

Pot-au-feu (/ˌpɒtoʊˈfɜːr/, French: [pɔt‿o fø]; lit. 'pot on the fire') is a French dish of slowly boiled meat and vegetables, usually served as two courses: first the broth (bouillon) and then the meat (bouilli) and vegetables.

In this novel, the dish pot-au-feu carries significant cultural and symbolic weight. Pot-au-feu is a traditional French stew made with various meats and vegetables, often simmered for a long time to develop rich flavors. In the context of the novel, pot-au-feu symbolizes tradition, family, and the passage of time.

The meat is often beef but sometimes pork. There are also different kinds of vegetables and spices in it. The name pot-au-feu comes from the French language and means "pot on the fire." This name comes from the fact that it was often made in one pot put on the fire.

This generous and extremely fragrant dish goes wonderfully with Rhône Valley tannic and expressive red wines so long as they are young but also with lighter red wines such as Beaujolais or Loire Valley wines that add a certain amount of freshness to the meat.

Pot-au-feu is a slowly simmered meat and vegetable dish that appears on most home tables in France. Pot au Feu, which literally translates to 'pot in the fire', started its life in working-class homes as a way to make less expensive cuts of beef more tender and palatable.

Fire is the hot, bright flames that come from something that is burning.

Pot-au-feu's origins are somewhat obscure. Although the Romans are known to have made something similar, the earliest reference to it does not appear until the 12th century; even then, the details are sketchy. What is certain, however, is that, in these early days, it was a humble dish, eaten mainly by the poor.

While most historians agree that pho was invented in the late 19th and early 20th Century in northern Vietnam during French colonial times, its origins are murky. Some believe pho was an adaptation of the French one-pot beef and vegetable stew pot-au-feu, which shares a phonetic similarity to "phở".

Pot au feu is similar to the Spanish cocido and the Filipino bulalo; however, leeks are used instead of onions, and turnips are added for sweetness. It is also served with hot mustard and gherkins on the side.

Can you freeze pot-au-feu? ›

We are used to eat it as a soup… once again, your choice!! You can either keep the rest in the fridge to eat the day after or freeze it, it will be nice to serve for dinner on a cold winter night when you don't feel like cooking.

Pot-au-feu's origins are somewhat obscure. Although the Romans are known to have made something similar, the earliest reference to it does not appear until the 12th century; even then, the details are sketchy. What is certain, however, is that, in these early days, it was a humble dish, eaten mainly by the poor.