Boeuf à la ficelle

Suspending a piece of meat in simmering stock and letting it poach is an old method of cooking. In the past, large joints were hung over huge cauldrons on open fires and left to simmer for hours. Using the method for a fillet of beef means that in 15 minutes, you have a perfectly cooked piece of meat, pink, in the centre, with pure, concentrated flavours. If you have a larger piece of fillet, increase the poaching time slightly. Any meat leftover is excellent cold.