Sunday Pot-au-Feu with Bone Marrow Toasts

⏱ 270 min · Serves 6

The great French boiled dinner, done properly: beef shin and short rib simmered for hours with aromatics until the broth is clear, golden and deeply savoury. Serve the broth first, then the meat and vegetables with mustard, cornichons and toasts spread with wobbly roasted bone marrow and coarse salt. Unhurried, generous, quietly show-off cooking.

Per serving: 780 kcal · 58.0g protein · 48.0g carbs · 40.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1.2kg beef shin, on the bone
• 800g beef short rib, in pieces
• 2 marrow bones, halved lengthways (ask your butcher), plus 4 more for the toasts
• 1 onion, halved and charred cut-side down in a dry pan
• 3 cloves
• 2 carrots, halved
• 2 leeks, tops reserved for the broth
• 1 celery stick
• 1 head garlic, halved
• 1 bouquet garni (thyme, parsley stalks, 2 bay leaves, tied)
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 tsp coarse sea salt, plus more to serve
• 6 medium carrots, peeled, kept whole
• 3 leeks, trimmed and tied in a bundle
• 3 turnips, peeled and quartered
• 6 small waxy potatoes
• 1 small savoy cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
• 1 sourdough baguette, cut into 12 thick slices
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• Dijon mustard and cornichons, to serve
• Flaky salt and coarsely cracked pepper

Method

1. Put the shin, short rib and the 2 halved marrow bones in a large stockpot, cover with cold water by 5cm and bring slowly to a bare simmer. Skim off every bit of grey foam for the first 15 minutes — this is what makes the broth clear.
2. Add the clove-studded charred onion, halved carrots, leek tops, celery, garlic, bouquet garni, peppercorns and 2 tsp salt. Keep at the gentlest possible tremble (no bubbling) for 3 hours, topping up with hot water if the meat pokes above the surface. Never stir.
3. Lift the meat out onto a tray and cover. Strain the broth through a fine sieve lined with muslin, discard the spent vegetables, and skim the fat from the surface. Taste and season — it should be savoury and clean.
4. Return the broth to the pot, bring to a simmer and cook the fresh vegetables in stages so each stays intact: carrots and turnips 15 minutes, potatoes and leek bundle 15 minutes more, cabbage wedges for a final 8 minutes. Lift each batch into a warm dish as it's done.
5. Return the meat to the broth to reheat gently for 15 minutes while you make the toasts.
6. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan. Sit the 4 remaining marrow bones cut-side up on a tray, sprinkle with salt and roast 15–18 minutes until the marrow is soft, glossy and just bubbling at the edges. Toast the bread alongside for the last 5 minutes.
7. Scoop the marrow onto the toasts, mash lightly, and scatter with parsley, lemon zest, flaky salt and cracked pepper.
8. Serve the hot broth in bowls first, with a marrow toast on the side. Then bring the meat and vegetables to the table on a warm platter with mustard, cornichons and coarse salt, and carve the shin at the table.