This French dish, which translates to “pot on the fire,” consists of meat and vegetables slowly cooked in water or stock. The broth is traditionally served with croutons as a first course, followed by an entrée of the meat and vegetables. The combination of meat and vegetables varies according to the region. It’s traditionally a slow-cooking dish that takes hours. This version makes use of more tender cuts of meat and therefore cooks much more quickly.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　8 cups beef stock (page 227) or low-fat, reduced-sodium beef broth

　　Bouquet garni (8 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, 6 sprigs of thyme, 2 bay leaves, preferably fresh, 10 whole black peppercorns, tied together in cheesecloth)

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　2 leeks, white part only, quartered to the root, well washed (see page 232), and tied

　　8 small red or Yukon gold potatoes

　　1 small head green cabbage, quartered

　　2 stalks celery, halved crosswise

　　4 cloves garlic, halved

　　1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

　　1 pound boneless beef rib-eye

　　8 small carrots, peeled

　　1 pound haricots verts or young, tender green beans, trimmed

　　

Garnishes:

1 baguette, sliced diagonally 1/2 inch thick

　　Dijon mustard

　　Cornichons

　　Freshly grated horseradish

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

In a large stockpot, add the stock and bouquet garni. Season with salt and pepper. Add the leeks, potatoes, cabbage, celery, and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and decrease the heat to low. Simmer until the vegetables are almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Season the chicken and beef with salt and pepper and add to the pot along with the carrots. (Use tongs to move all the ingredients around so the raw ingredients are fully submerged in the stock.) Continue to simmer, partially covered, until the chicken and beef are almost cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the haricot verts and continue cooking until the beans are tender and the chicken and beef are completely cooked through, an additional 5 to 7 minutes.

　　

Step 3

To serve, remove the leeks and untie them. Divide the leeks and vegetables among shallow serving bowls, followed by the chicken and beef. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the broth with salt and pepper. Ladle some of the broth over the meat and vegetables. Serve with baguette slices, mustard, cornichons, horseradish, and salt and black pepper.

　　From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.