POT ON THE FIRE

One pot meal of French design. Cartaliginous meats - anything other than beef isn't Pot au Feu - shin, shank, blade, rib, bone. Vegetables - onions, carrots, cabbage. Spice - salt, pepper, cloves, bouquet garni. Long slow cook with water a tremble above said ingredients. Boiling won't cut it. Stew epitome. Hours on the hob; meat releases its gelatin; stock thickens, muscle breaks down, veg softens. Remove your marrow bones and veg. Chop cabbages into limp quarters. Discard any onion skins. Take care when extracting meats; they will fall apart completely after such long cooking time.

Preperation done. How to consume? Follow, as one must, the tradition. First night eat straight from the pot. Once all veg and meat removed, bring cooking liquid to a boil. Skim rising scum from top and run the liquid through a china cap. Return to the pot. Season with salt and brighten with a few drops of wine vinegar and/or Tabasco, lemon juice. Boil pasta. I use alphabet noodles for this. Assemble your soup. Take your marrow bones. Extract the marrow and spread on toast. Enjoy soup and marrow toast. Then your main course. A selection of meats with veg, strong mustard, fleur de sel completes night one. Looks like a goddamn still-life, but will smell so fantastic, you're left with no choice but to tear it apart with knife, fork, bare hands if needed.

Second night meats and veg are served cold. Build potent vinaigrette from salt, pepper, garlic, shallot, wine vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil. Drown your cold meat and veg in vinaigrette. Conrnichons and flaky salt optional. Final night is the fry up. Remaining meats and veg are chopped and tossed into a pan of sliced sweet onions and garlic. Crisp meats and veg. If it threatens to stick, add some of the cooking liquid to the pan. Bread, butter, and horseradish sauce.