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1
Bring the stock to the boil in a large pot with the optional bones and scraps, the herb bouquet, and the aromatic vegetables.
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2
Meanwhile, tie the meat into a neat shape with white cotton twine, and place it in the pot, adding water if necessary to cover by 1 inch.
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3
Bring to the simmer, skim off surface scum for several minutes, then cover the pot loosely and let simmer slowly until the meat is tender when pierced with a forkcut off and eat a piece to be sure.
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4
If some pieces are done early, remove to a bowl and cover with a little of the cooking stock.
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5
When the meat is done, remove it from the pot, strain and degrease the cooking stock, correct seasoning, and return it to the pot with the meat.
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6
The stew will keep warm for a good hour before serving, or may be reheated, loosely covered.
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7
Meanwhile, cook separately whatever vegetables you have chosen in a bit of the cooking stock, and when you are ready to serve, drain their cooking liquids into a saucepan.
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8
Then add a sufficient quantity of the cooking liquid to make a rich stock to serve with your pot au feu.
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9
Slice the meat, surround with the vegetables, and baste with the stock, pouring the rest into a sauceboat to pass at the table.
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10
Accompany, if you wish, with French cornichons, coarse salt, and horseradish sauce (see page 51).
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11
OTHER MEATS.
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12
Include or substitute other meats in the stew, such as shoulder of pork or veal, or Polish sausage.
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13
Or you may wish to use a fine stewing hen, which you can include with the beef or cook separately, in this latter case using chicken rather than beef stock.
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14
BLANQUETTE OF VEAL.
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15
For 4 to 5 pounds of real pale-pink special-fed veal (see note) cut into 2-inch chunks (a combination of boneless and bone-in chuck, shank, neck, and breast), serving 6 people.
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16
Simmering time: about 1 1/2 hours.
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17
Bring the veal to the simmer for 2 to 3 minutes in a large pot of water until the scum ceases to rise.
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18
Drain.
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19
Wash off the veal and the pot, return veal to pot, then pour in veal, chicken, or turkey stock (pages 45) or canned chicken broth and water to cover by 1/2 inch.
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20
Add a large peeled and chopped onion, a peeled chopped carrot, a large chopped celery stalk, and a small herb bouquet minus garlic.
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21
Salt lightly, cover the pot loosely, and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, until meat is fork-tender.
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22
Drain stock into a saucepan and return meat to pot.
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23
Degrease cooking liquid, and boil down rapidly until reduced to about 3 cups.
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24
Meanwhile, make a veloute sauce (page 13) with 4 tablespoons butter, 5 tablespoons flour, and the cooking liquid, enriching it, if you wish, with a little cream.
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25
Simmer the veal to warm briefly in the sauce along with 24 small white-braised onions (page 28) and 1/2 pound of small simmered mushrooms (page 32).
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26
BLANQUETTE OF CHICKEN OR TURKEY.
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27
Use cut-up roasting or stewing chicken, or turkey parts, cooking them the same way.
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28
For a large herb bouquet, tie 8 parsley sprigs, 1 large imported bay leaf, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 4 whole cloves or allspice berries, and 3 large cloves of smashed unpeeled garlic together in washed cheesecloth.
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29
Sometimes the garlic should be omitted, and you can substitute celery leaves and/or split leeks.
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30
Real veal is a calf either fed on mothers milk or on milk by-products.
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31
Free-range veal, which is actually baby beef, produces an ugly gray-brown blanquette and an inferior sauce.
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32
It will, however, make an acceptable brown stew, using the following beef bourguignon system.
