Pot-au-Feu

Stud the halved onion with the whole cloves. Tie the parsley stems, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves together with kitchen twine to form a bouquet garni. Cut a 30 cm square of cheesecloth, place the peppercorns in the centre, and tie into a bundle with twine.

Place the short ribs, brisket, and marrow bones in a large stockpot (at least 8 litres). Cover with 4 litres of cold water — the meat must be fully submerged. Set over medium-high heat and bring slowly to a boil, uncovered; this should take 25–30 minutes of gradual heating, so there is no need to hover over the pot yet.

As soon as the water begins to simmer, grey foam will rise aggressively. Skim it continuously with a ladle or fine-mesh skimmer, adjusting heat to maintain a gentle simmer, until the broth is almost entirely clear — about 15–20 minutes of steady skimming. This is the one stage of the whole recipe that genuinely needs your attention throughout.

Add the clove-studded onion, crushed garlic, bouquet garni, peppercorn bundle, and 1 tbsp coarse sea salt. Reduce heat to low so the surface barely trembles — a steady, rolling boil will cloud the broth irreversibly. Cook uncovered for 1 hour 30 minutes; this stretch is unattended simmering, so there is no need to stand over the pot — just check back every 20 minutes or so to confirm the heat hasn't crept up.

Add the carrots, celery, and turnips. Continue to simmer gently on low for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to soften but are not yet fully tender — another unattended stretch, just glance over occasionally.

Add the leeks and potatoes. Continue simmering on low for a further 30 minutes, until the potatoes are fully tender when pierced with a knife and the beef brisket has comfortably passed 63°C — the safe minimum for beef — and now reads 90–95°C on a meat thermometer, the point at which the collagen has fully dissolved into gelatin, making the meat yielding and the broth unctuous.

Remove the marrow bones carefully with tongs and set aside on a warm plate. Discard the bouquet garni, peppercorn bundle, and onion. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with fine sea salt.

Ladle the hot broth into warmed shallow bowls first, then arrange slices of brisket, a piece of short rib, and the cooked vegetables alongside. Place a marrow bone on each plate. Serve immediately with toasted baguette, Dijon mustard, cornichons, and a small bowl of coarse sea salt at the table.