La Petite Marmite

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-quart (7.6 L) heavy stainless-steel or enameled stockpot
• •2-quart (1.9 L) saucepan for the cabbage
• •Fine-mesh skimmer and ladle
• •Fine sieve and cheesecloth
• •Kitchen twine
• •Warm soupière or table-safe serving marmite

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the foundation

   Make the Ordinary or White Consommé (No. 1) as the finished foundation, using this recipe's lean beef, brisket point, cheesecloth-wrapped marrow bone, cold water, and salt in place of that preparation's standard meat garnish. Follow its cold-start and skimming procedure exactly; the marmite changes the meat proportions and yield, not the component's method. Use an 8-quart heavy pot and allow the liquid 40 to 50 minutes to approach its first simmer. A slow rise gives the soluble proteins time to gather where you can remove them.

   Keep a fine skimmer, a bowl for the scum, and a damp cloth for wiping the pot rim beside the stove. Clarity depends more on attention during this first hour than on anything done at the finish.
2. 2

   Hold a bare tremble

   As the grey foam rises, remove it without stirring the liquid beneath. If bubbles threaten before the scum has gathered, add a spoonful of the additional cold water to check the heat, then continue skimming. Once the surface remains mostly clean, hold the pot at the barest tremble for about 2 hours 45 minutes, with the lid slightly ajar. Skim away foam and excess fat as they appear, and wipe the tide mark from the pot. If the broth boils hard and the scum breaks apart, pull it from the heat, add 2 tablespoons of cold water, wait 5 minutes, and skim again before continuing gently. Ça se rattrape. Do not stir.

3. 3

   Add last-hour garnish

   During the long simmer, make the tournage (olive-shaped trimming): cut the carrots and turnips into even, generous ovals about 1¼ inches (3 cm) long. Exact facets belong to brigade presentation; even size is what matters at home. One hour before serving, add the chicken necks, wing tips, gizzards, carrots, turnips, leek whites, and celery heart to the marmite. Let the liquid return slowly to a bare tremble and cook for the full hour. If a turnip yields completely before the others, lift it into a warm bowl and return it at the finish rather than letting it collapse into the broth.

   Olive-cut describes the shape, not the cooking fat. Save the clean carrot and turnip trimmings for another stock; the smooth ovals cook evenly and remain distinct in this clear broth.
4. 4

   Braise cabbage apart

   Have the cabbage ready from Blanchings (No. 273), cooled and squeezed gently so it carries no excess water. Place it in a 2-quart saucepan with 1 cup of the Ordinary or White Consommé (No. 1) and the skimmed stock fat. Cover and cook at a very gentle simmer for 25 to 35 minutes, turning the cabbage once, until fully tender but still holding together. If the pan dries before the cabbage is tender, add another spoonful of broth. Keep it apart from the marmite afterward; putting it into the main pot would cloud the broth and let cabbage dominate every spoonful.

5. 5

   Clear and reassemble

   Lift the beef, giblets, vegetables, and wrapped marrow bone from the pot without disturbing the sediment. Let the broth stand off the heat for 5 minutes, then skim the surface thoroughly. Pass it through a fine sieve lined with dampened cheesecloth into a clean, warmed soupière or serving marmite, letting gravity do the work. Never squeeze the cloth. If the broth remains hazy, pass it once more through fresh dampened cheesecloth. Untie the beef, cut it into generous serving slices, halve the gizzards, and arrange them in the clear broth with the necks, wing tips, and vegetables. Taste and correct the salt.

6. 6

   Send the marmite

   Toast the baguette slices in a dry skillet or moderate oven until crisp and evenly golden, then bring them to the table while still hot. Unwrap the marrow bone and place it on a warmed side dish with a small spoon or blunt knife. Send the tender cabbage in its own bowl, moistened with a little of its cooking broth. Bring the marmite to the table and ladle the clear broth, meats, and vegetables into warm bowls, passing the marrow, toast, and cabbage separately. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask the butcher for brisket point or beef plate with some fat and connective tissue, not a dry roasting joint. Technique first, always, but this cut has the gelatin the broth needs.
• •The marrow bone should be whole and unsplit so the marrow survives its long cooking. The damp cheesecloth catches anything that loosens, allowing the bone and its marrow to travel to the table instead of disappearing into the pot.
• •Do not replace the gizzards with chicken liver. Gizzards withstand the last-hour simmer and contribute a clean, meaty savor; liver would crumble, cloud the broth, and change its character.
• •The cabbage and marrow are not decorative side dishes. Passing them separately preserves the consommé's clarity and lets each person build a bowl to taste, which is part of the generosity of La Petite Marmite.

Advance Preparation

• •The beef and marrow foundation can be cooked and strained a day ahead before the last-hour garnish is added. Cool the broth quickly in an ice bath, refrigerate the meat and marrow separately, then return everything to a gentle simmer before adding the giblets and vegetables for their final hour.
• •The cabbage can undergo Blanchings (No. 273) a day ahead. Drain it thoroughly, refrigerate it covered, and complete its separate cooking in the reserved consommé shortly before serving.
• •For leftovers, separate the broth from the meats and vegetables so the garnish does not soften further. Refrigerate promptly for up to 3 days and reheat gently until fully hot, keeping the broth below a hard boil.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 480g)