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Epicurean, August/September 1977
Serves 6, with leftovers for another meal or two
Meat
1.5 kg beef topside or silverside, in one piece
1 kg beef shortribs, in one piece
beef marrow bone, cut into 5 cm lengths
oxtail (optional)
Vegetables
2 onions
4 leeks
4 large carrots
2 small white turnips
1 stick celery, including leaves
bouquet garni of 3 to 4 sprigs thyme, 2 to 4 stalks parsley, 2 to 3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt and a few peppercorns
For serving
additional onions, leeks and carrots
potatoes
coarse salt, mustard, horseradish, pickled cornichons and capers
Tie each piece of meat into a neat shape. Wash oxtail, if using. Peel onion, wash and trum leeks, and peel the carrots and turnips.
Place all meats except marrow bones in a very large pot and pour over cold water to just cover. Bring to the boil very slowly, removing scum as it rises. Continue to skim surface until no more scum is formed. Add prepared vegetables, salt and peppercorns. Place lid on pot and adjust heat so that the liquid barely simmers. Leave for 2½ to 3 hours, then add marrow bones and cook for a further 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare additional vegetables for serving with the meat and either cook separately or with the meat (first discarding the ones added at the beginning). Steam potatoes.
For serving, carefully remove meats and marrow bones and keep warm. If vegetables have been cooked with meat, take them out of the stock and keep warm. Carve topside or silverside into fairly thick slices (about ½ cm), spoon over a little of the hot stock, remove marrow from marrow bones.
Serve meat and vegetables with accompaniments.
When stock has cooled, strain through muslin-lined sieve into a clean bowl and place in refrigerator. When cold, remove layer of fat from surface. This stock can be used for subsequent soups and sauces. If you want to follow French custom to the letter and serve the broth as first course, remove as much fat as possible from the surface, reheat quickly and serve very hot.
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