Spring pot au feu recipe

Name: Spring pot au feu recipe
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 small chicken breasts (about 500g total) 300g kipfler potatoes, washed and sliced 100g chopped silverbeet (about 4 trimmed leaves) flat-leaf parsley and chervil leaves, to serve black pepper, to serve; For the stock 3 tsp grapeseed oil 1 onion, sliced 3 garlic cloves sliced 2 sticks of celery cut on an angle 2 small carrots peeled, halved and cut on an angle 1 tomato, crushed ½ bunch of thyme 1 bay leaf 5 white peppercorns 1 small, meaty smoked ham hock, about 700g salt and white pepper, to season

Neil Perry

October 24, 2016

Time:2 hours +Serves:4

You can tweak this pot au feu by leaving out the parsley and chevril and topping it with a dollop of pesto, which really brings the broth to life. I also like a good grating of fresh parmesan over the bird as well.

Ingredients

2 small chicken breasts (about 500g total)
300g kipfler potatoes, washed and sliced
100g chopped silverbeet (about 4 trimmed leaves)
flat-leaf parsley and chervil leaves, to serve
black pepper, to serve
For the stock
3 tsp grapeseed oil
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves sliced
2 sticks of celery cut on an angle
2 small carrots peeled, halved and cut on an angle
1 tomato, crushed
½ bunch of thyme
1 bay leaf
5 white peppercorns
1 small, meaty smoked ham hock, about 700g
salt and white pepper, to season

Method

Step 1
For the stock, heat grapeseed oil on a medium heat in a large stock pot. Add onion and fry gently until starting to soften, then add garlic and continue to fry until tender. Add the celery and carrots for a few minutes.
Step 2
Add the rest of the ingredients with 4 litres of water and bring to a very gentle simmer, skimming the surface fat off regularly. Once the celery and carrot are tender, about 5-10 minutes, remove them from the pot and reserve.
Step 3
Simmer stock very gently for about 3 hours over low heat, until the hock falls easily away from the bone. Shred the hock into large pieces of meat and reserve.
Step 4
Strain stock, season with salt and white pepper.
Step 5
Put the strained stock back on the stove, bring it to a simmer, add the chicken breasts and turn to the lowest setting.
Step 6
Poach for 12 minutes. Remove pot from heat for a further 15 minutes. Remove chicken breasts from the stock and allow to cool, then shred.
Step 7
You should have about 2 litres of stock remaining; add water to make up this amount, if needed. Add the kipfler potatoes, bring to a simmer and cook until tender, about 12-15 minutes.
Step 8
Add silverbeet, ham hock meat and chicken to the pot with the reserved celery and carrots. Warm through, adjust seasoning to taste and serve in bowls, ensuring you get a good mix of all the ingredients in each bowl. Garnish with parsley and chervil and freshly ground black pepper.