The simplicity of it

It all started from last Saturday when I was preparing ingredients for Hachis Parmentier. One key ingredient is cooked/boiled beef. I followed the instructions (almost) to the t. Into a pot of water, I put shin of beef, onion, garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns, carrot sticks and celery slices. I brought the pot to boil, put the lid on and then turned the heat to low so that only occasional bubbles came to the surface of the pot. I waited patiently for at least one hour before opening the lid.

I could not believe how fragrant the bouillon was.

I kid you not. It's not like I have not made stew or soup before but I was truly blown away by the aroma of this bouillon. Because it was cooked mostly on low heat, the bouillon remained light colored and not cloudy. The smell is savory, soothing, curiously complexed. That's why it got me surprised because the number/type of flavoring ingredients are really kitchen standard and in fact less than I am used to. It made me wonder whether I have unwittingly obscured the true flavor of each dish by my over enthusiasm for herbs and spices.

That's when the thought of pot-au-feu came to my mind.

Pot-au-feu is French's version of boiled dinner. The English also has one called Gammon Stew. The Italian has Bollito Misto. I am pretty sure every country has its own version and the cooking philosophy is easy. It requires three sets of ingredients, meat, vegetables and spice/herb. Cooked simply in a pot of water and it is usually serves with salt, pepper and/or mustard. No complication needed.

The simplicity of pot-au-feu lends itself to a great basis for adaptation, such as Hachis Parmentier. I thought I was en route to Hachis Parmentier but I inadvertently ended up with two wonderful dishes, Pot-au-feu as a nice surprise side product. The beauty of trying new things. 

The only embarrassing thing was, Pot-au-feu ought to happen before Hachis Parmentier, well, at least the logical way. I did/ate it the other way around. It was still great.