Ardennes Potée
A hearty broth where salted bacon, cabbage, leeks, and potatoes cook together. It is the complete meal of the Ardennes region: first you drink the broth, then you share the meat and vegetables.
A hearty broth where salted bacon, cabbage, leeks, and potatoes cook together. It is the complete meal of the Ardennes region: first you drink the broth, then you share the meat and vegetables.
At Mother's, there was no fooling around with the pot: it heated from noon on the cast iron, and woe to whoever touched the bacon before the hour! I dipped my bread in the broth, and while the cabbage melted, I daydreamed a thousand leagues from these dreary Ardennes. Eat it scalding, friend, and save the heel to mop up — that's the whole art: nothing is wasted in a house that counts its pennies.
- •Salted bacon — a nice piece (fat and salt)
- •Green cabbage — one head (foundational vegetable)
- •Leeks and turnips — one bunch (aromatics)
- •Potatoes — a bowlful (starch)
- •Smoked sausage — according to purse (umami)
Ardennes Potée
A hearty broth where salted bacon, cabbage, leeks, and potatoes cook together. It is the complete meal of the Ardennes region: first you drink the broth, then you share the meat and vegetables.
Why this dish? In his mother's stern house in Charleville-Mézières, they ate modestly: garden vegetables, bacon, and this potée that simmered all afternoon to feed an Ardennes family without ruining them.
At Mother's, there was no fooling around with the pot: it heated from noon on the cast iron, and woe to whoever touched the bacon before the hour! I dipped my bread in the broth, and while the cabbage melted, I daydreamed a thousand leagues from these dreary Ardennes. Eat it scalding, friend, and save the heel to mop up — that's the whole art: nothing is wasted in a house that counts its pennies.
Ingredients (period version)
- Salted bacon — a nice piece (fat and salt)
- Green cabbage — one head (foundational vegetable)
- Leeks and turnips — one bunch (aromatics)
- Potatoes — a bowlful (starch)
- Smoked sausage — according to purse (umami)
Ingredients
- Half-salt pork shoulder — 600 g (meat)
- Green cabbage — 1/2 head (foundational vegetable)
- Leeks — 2 (aromatic)
- Carrots and turnips — 3 + 2 (sweetness)
- Potatoes — 6 (starch)
- Smoked sausage — 1 large (smoked umami)
Method
- Desalt the pork shoulder for 1 hour under cold water, then cover with water in a large pot and bring to a simmer.
- Skim, then cook for 1 hour at a gentle boil.
- Add cabbage, leeks, carrots, and turnips; continue cooking for 30 minutes.
- Add potatoes and smoked sausage, cook another 25 minutes until tender.
- Serve the broth first in shallow bowls, then the meat and vegetables on a platter.
How it was made : In the 19th-century Ardennes, the potée simmered for hours on the hearth. The broth served as a first course, the salted meat (preserved for lack of refrigeration) provided the substance, and stale bread soaked up everything.
The contemporary twist : Serve the broth in a separate cup, 'poet's consommé' style, before plating the meat and vegetables on a slate board.
Arthur Rimbaud · Charactorium