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1
Drain the soaked smoked pork and discard the soaking water. Place the meat in a large pot and cover generously with fresh cold water. Add the bouquet garni. Set over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, skimming all grey foam from the surface as it rises. Reduce the heat so the surface barely trembles. The water must not boil. Cook at this temperature for 1 hour 30 minutes. The broth is ready to proceed when it runs clear and golden.
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2
Add the turnips and carrots to the pot. After 10 minutes, add the celeriac. Maintain a constant gentle simmer throughout — this is where the dish lives or dies: a rolling boil at any point will toughen the pork irreparably and cloud the broth beyond recovery. The vegetables should yield to the point of a knife at their thickest part but hold their shape entirely.
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3
While the root vegetables cook, bring a separate pan of unsalted water to the boil. Add the quartered cabbage and blanch for 5 minutes, then drain. This step removes the bitterness that would otherwise permeate the entire broth. The cabbage leaves should have brightened to an even green.
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4
Add the blanched cabbage to the main pot 40 minutes before the expected end of cooking. Add the potatoes 30 minutes before the end. Both should be submerged in the broth. Continue the gentle simmer. The potatoes are done when a skewer passes through without resistance.
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5
Add the fresh sausages for the final 25 minutes only. Earlier addition causes them to burst and leach fat into the broth. They are cooked when firm to gentle pressure along their length and show no give at the centre.
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6
Ladle the clear broth through a fine sieve into a warmed tureen or individual bowls. Serve at table with slices of toast as the first course. The broth should be golden, translucent, and deeply smoky on the nose.
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7
Arrange the meats — sliced — and all vegetables on a large warmed platter. Serve as the main course with coarse Dijon mustard, cornichons, and a pot of horseradish cream alongside.