Hochepot Flamand with Beef, Pork, Chicken and Winter Vegetables
Hochepot flamand belongs to the winter cooking of French Flanders and neighbouring northern terroirs, where several meats and sturdy vegetables share one pot. It can be described as a Flemish pot of meats and vegetables, but reducing it to generic pot-au-feu misses the identity created by mixed meat, long quiet simmering and a broth served with the solid components.
The three meats are deliberately staggered. Beef chuck and pork shoulder need the longest head start, chicken thighs join later, and the vegetables are held back until the meats are well on their way. Cabbage, carrot, leek, turnip, celery and potato are cut large enough to remain visible, because a hochepot should still show its separate meat and vegetable families at the table.
The broth should barely move. A rolling boil breaks vegetables, emulsifies more fat into the liquid and works against the clean, brothy result. Skimming during the initial rise to a simmer and keeping the pot partially covered produce a clearer cooking liquid while still allowing the tougher cuts to tenderise over time.
For serving and nutrition, bone and edible meat must be separated. The chicken is purchased bone-in but calculated from its cooked edible meat after bones are discarded. Each portion includes a measured amount of broth as well as meat and vegetables; bones and skimmed surface fat are not treated as food that was eaten.
