Chapeau Savoyard: Grilled Meat and Broth

In short: On the chapeau savoyard, thin slices of beef and chicken sizzle on the dome while carrots, leek and mushrooms simmer in the broth channel around the edge. You finish with melted raclette over the potatoes and a bowl of broth enriched by every cooking juice.

Chef’s tip

The chapeau savoyard is proof that in the mountains nothing gets wasted, not even a drop of meat juice. Everything that grills on the dome ends up in the broth, and everything that cooks in the broth ends up on your plate. By the end of the meal, that broth has a flavor many restaurant soups would envy. It is the only dish I know where the most anticipated dessert is a soup.

The real secret comes down to two words: thin slices. If your slices are as thick as a ribeye, you will be waiting a long time, and your brother-in-law will start nibbling on the cornichons out of sheer boredom. Ask the butcher to slice it like for a fondue bourguignonne, only thinner, or pop the meat in the freezer for twenty minutes and slice it yourself with a very sharp knife.

Ingredients (for 4 people)

• 600 g of beef (rump steak or sirloin), very thinly sliced
• 300 g of chicken breast fillet, in thin strips
• 1 liter of low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 carrots
• 1 leek
• 200 g of white mushrooms
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 sprig of thyme and 1 bay leaf
• 800 g of small firm-fleshed potatoes
• 400 g of sliced raclette cheese
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil for the dome
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Cornichons and whole-grain mustard, to serve

Preparation

1. Cook the potatoes. Rinse the potatoes and cook them for 20 minutes in salted water or in a steamer. Keep them warm in a kitchen towel or a covered basket.
   

   

2. Flavor the broth. Bring the broth to a simmer with the sliced onion, the crushed garlic clove, the thyme and the bay leaf. Let it infuse for 10 minutes, then remove the herbs.
   

   

3. Prepare the vegetables. Peel the carrots and cut them into very thin rounds. Slice the leek into thin pieces and the mushrooms into slivers. Arrange them in small dishes on the table.
   

   

4. Prepare the meats. Take the meats out of the fridge 20 minutes before the meal. Spread the slices over two platters, season with pepper and a light sprinkle of salt.
   

   

5. Preheat the chapeau. Switch on the chapeau savoyard 10 minutes before sitting down. Brush the dome with oil, then pour the hot broth into the channel without filling it to the brim.
   

   

6. Cook at the table. Everyone lays their slices on the dome and grills them for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drop the vegetables into the broth: they cook in 5 to 8 minutes while soaking up the meat juices.
   

   

7. Melt the raclette. Melt the cheese slices in the raclette pans for 3 to 4 minutes, then pour it over the potatoes and vegetables. Serve with cornichons and mustard.
   

   

8. Serve the broth. At the end of the meal, adjust the seasoning of the broth and serve it in bowls with the last of the vegetables.
   

   

The chef’s tricks

• Don’t over-salt the broth at the start: it reduces throughout the meal and gets more concentrated. Adjust the salt at the very end.
• Keep a hot kettle within reach to top up the channel when the level drops. Cold broth stalls the cooking of the vegetables.
• Slice the carrots razor-thin: a 2 mm round cooks in five minutes, a 1 cm round is still waiting at dessert.
• Oil the dome, not the meat: oiled slices make the grill smoke and turn your living room into a smoky mountain hut.

Variations

• Duck version: replace the chicken with 300 g of trimmed duck breast, thinly sliced. Its fat wonderfully flavors the broth.
• Vegetarian version: grill slices of zucchini, eggplant and polenta on the dome, and use vegetable broth.
• Next-day version: blend the leftover broth with the vegetables for an instant velouté soup.

Which wine to serve?

With the grilled meats and the broth, a light, fruity red from Savoie, made from Mondeuse or Gamay and served slightly chilled, works wonders. If you prefer white, a Jacquère from Savoie or a Chasselas from Valais will go with the raclette without overpowering the vegetables.

Frequently asked questions

Which meats should you choose for the chapeau savoyard?

Tender meats that cook quickly: rump steak or sirloin of beef, chicken breast fillet, duck breast. All of them must be sliced very thinly.

How much broth should you plan for?

One liter is enough for 4 people, as long as you top up the channel with a little hot broth during the meal.

Can you prepare the chapeau savoyard in advance?

You can flavor the broth, cut the vegetables and slice the meat a few hours ahead. Keep everything chilled and reheat the broth at the last minute.

🧀 The right grill: the electric chapeau savoyard, our comparison.

Read also: Raclette on a chapeau savoyard: the grill and the experience