Potée Auvergnate

This fabulous winter dish is name after its place of origin, Auvergne, a stunning mountainous region in the centre of France. My mother is from these parts, & I have fond memories of visiting as a teenager. The views are spectacular & the mountain villages are quaint & charming, often containing shops that offer local produce such as the famous Bleu d'Auvergne & Saint-Nectaire cheeses. This is a very old recipe that dates back hundreds of years, possibly more. It is the very essence of a traditional French dish; rustic & wholesome in its perfect simplicity. The flavours of the vegetables & slow cooked meat are given the stage with little distraction.

4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 cured ham hock (roughly 300gr)

1 cured pork shoulder (roughly 500gr)

3 smoked sausages (roughly 600gr)

4 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into halves

1 small savoy cabbage, roughly sliced

4 carrots, cut into thick slices

3 turnips, quartered

1 onion, peeled but left whole

4 cloves

1 bouquet garni (2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs of thyme & parsley stalks tied together with cooking string)

S&P

Instructions:

Soak ham hock & pork shoulder in cold water for 3-4 hours, draining & refilling water every hour to reduce the salt content in the meat.

This next step is not obligatory but I like to go on to boil them for 15 minutes & then strain them to reduce the salt content even further.

Place the ham hock & pork shoulder in a large pot.

Spike the onion with the cloves & add to the pot along with the bouquet garni.

Fill the pot with water so that there is just enough to cover the meat.

Bring to a boil & then reduce to a low heat.

Cover & simmer 1.5 hours.

If grease or any other bits rise to the top you may skim the surface as needed.

Remove the onion & bouquet garni.

Add the sausages, potatoes, cabbage, carrots & turnips.

You may need to add a little water to bring it to level with the ingredients in the pot.

Season with S&P but do taste the broth before adding salt, as you may find that it is not needed.

Bring to a boil & simmer another 1.5 hours.

When ready to serve, strain the contents of the pot over a large bowl, to conserve the stock.

Serve the meat on a large platter, surrounded by the vegetables.

Serve the broth separately in a jug or bowl. Some prefer to add it to their dish or to consume it separately.

Traditionally, in France, we would accompany this dish with various mustards (Dijon, wholegrain) & of course, slices of baguette.