Pot au feu ("pot on the fire") is a classic French beef and vegetable soup. Traditionally, it is cooked in a large stockpot so that meats can simmer for a couple of hours before vegetables such as carrots, celeriac, leeks, and potatoes are added and cooked. It takes half day to prepare, but makes the house smell wonderful.

Ingredients
4 pounds beef shank, trimmed
2 pounds beef short ribs, trimmed
2 pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
4 cloves
Bouquet garni - bay leaf, sprigs of thyme and fresh Italian parsley
10 whole peppercorns
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
4 carrots
4 leeks
4 branches of celery
2 turnips
2 parsnips

Directions
1. Boil the water in a very large pot. Add the beef and boil. Add the onion, garlic, cloves, bouquet garni, and peppercorns. Season with salt and simmer over low heat for at least 3 hours, skimming.
2. Tie the leeks, celery into a bundle with string. Add the turnips, parsnips, leek and celery bundle, carrots to the beef and simmer over medium low heat for 30 minutes.
3. Cook until all the vegetables and the meat are tender.
4. Remove the leek bundle from the pot and discard the string. Spoon the meat and vegetables into soup plates, ladle a little of the broth over them and serve.