Bauernschmaus

In cooking, sometimes the simple things are best. When at home, Henri Soulé, the celebrated owner of New York’s Pavillon and Côte Basque restaurants, loves to serve brandade de morue, a delicious purée of salt cod. Mario Gallati, the guiding light behind three famous London restaurants, the Caprice, the Empress and the Écu de France, like nothing better than a huge plate of chicken wing-tips. René Hure, proprietor of the Hostellerie de la Poste in Avallon, one of France’s greatest restaurants, prefers to serve an earthy pot-au-feu of beef, pork and chicken, simmered in beef stock, when he entertains special guests.