Traditional New England Boiled Dinner

Gently simmering the meat for hours creates its melt-inyour- mouth quality. If you like, substitute turnips or parsnips for the rutabaga, or add a few additional potatoes so you can make Corned Beef Hash (right) with the tasty leftovers.

1 corned beef brisket (4 to 41⁄2 pounds)

1 medium onion studded with 4 whole cloves

8 cups water

8 medium all-purpose potatoes (21⁄2 pounds), peeled and each cut in half

8 carrots, peeled and each cut in half

1 small rutabaga (2 pounds), peeled and cut in half, each half cut into 8 wedges

1 small green cabbage (2 pounds), cut into 8 wedges

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Dijon mustard

bottled white horseradish

• In 8-quart Dutch oven, place brisket, clove-studded onion, and water and heat to boiling over high heat. With slotted spoon, skim and discard foam from surface. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until brisket is tender, 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours.
• Add potatoes, carrots, and rutabaga to Dutch oven; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
• With slotted spoon, transfer brisket and vegetables to deep large platter; keep warm.
• Heat liquid remaining in Dutch oven to boiling over high heat. Add cabbage; heat to boiling. Cover and boil until cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Slice brisket very thinly across the grain. Transfer sliced meat to platter with vegetables. Place cabbage wedges on platter, sprinkle parsley on vegetables, and serve mustard and horseradish alongside.

Makes 8 main-dish servings.

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 3 hours 30 minutes