Hochepot

Lore & Background

The hochepot is a stew whose first known recipes are recorded in the Manuscript of Sion, one of the oldest treatises on cooking written in French, dating from the late 13th or early 14th century (the exact dating is debated). That manuscript contains a recipe for 'Hochepot de poullaile' (chicken hochepot), instructing the cook to fry chicken pieces in bacon fat, then add a mixture of burnt bread, chicken livers, wine, and beef broth, along with ginger, cinnamon, and grains of paradise, finished with verjuice to achieve a dark, clear color. The modern editor of the Viandier de Taillevent affirms that the different versions of the Viandier are rewritings and enlargements of the original version of the manuscript of Sion, which may predate the presumed birth of Taillevent (c. 1310), though the manuscript's dating is not universally established.

Reader's Guide

The hochepot represents an early documented example of a meat-and-vegetable stew in French culinary history, with its roots in the medieval period. Its significance lies in its appearance in the Manuscript of Sion, the oldest known French-language cookery treatise, which provides a rare glimpse into the cooking techniques and flavor profiles of the 13th century. The dish is distinct from the Dutch hutspot, despite the similar name, as the latter is a mashed potato dish. The hochepot's recipe in the Manuscript of Sion uses ingredients like grains of paradise and verjuice, reflecting the spice trade and medieval preference for sweet-sour flavors. The Viandier de Taillevent, a later 14th-century manuscript, contains only one hochepot recipe, with poultry, further indicating the dish's evolution. Today, the hochepot remains a traditional stew in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France and in parts of Belgium, made with oxtail, shoulder of mutton, salted bacon, and vegetables, preserving a link to medieval culinary practices.

Did You Know?

• The first known recipes for hochepot are in the Manuscript of Sion, one of the oldest treatises on cooking written in French, dating from the late 13th or early 14th century (the exact dating is debated).
• Despite the similar name, hochepot is unrelated to Dutch hutspot, which is a dish made from mashed potatoes.
• The oldest version of the hochepot recipe, from the Manuscript of Sion, calls for chicken, burnt bread, chicken livers, wine, beef broth, ginger, cinnamon, grains of paradise, and verjuice.
• The Viandier de Taillevent, a 14th-century manuscript, contains only one hochepot recipe, with poultry, and is considered a rewriting of the earlier Sion manuscript.