Veal stock

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Stocks are a fiddle to make and this, I'm afraid is no exception. However, if you want a restaurant quality veal stock, this is it. Freeze in plastic coffee cups.

See your butcher for the veal bones.

Ingredients

• 3 kg (6 lb) veal breast bones
• 2 kg (4 lb) veal knuckles
• 9 litres (16 pints) cold water
• 2 glasses of good red wine (optional)
• 450 g (1 lb) carrots, washed and sliced
• 2 leeks, well washed and chopped
• 450 g (1 lb) onions, halved, skin on
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs of parsley, with stalks
• 10 black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons of tomato puree
• Good pinch of salt (optional)

Mise en place

• Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F - gas 6)

Method

1. Remove as much meat as you can from the bones
2. Place the bones in a two large oiled roasting trays, sit the meat on the bones
3. Roast for 40 minutes, don't allow the bones or meat to burn or the stock will be bitter
4. Place the bones and meat in your biggest pan and cover with 9 litres (16 pints) of cold water
5. Discard the fat from the roasting trays and degalaze the trays with red wine or just water, scraping up all of the caramelised goodness
6. Add this to the stockpot
7. Almost bring the pot to the boil, immediately turn down the heat and simmer for 10 hours
8. During the first hour or so you will need to skim the liquid of any scum or fat
9. Add the prepared vegetables and the remaining ingredients to the pan when there is about two hours cooking time left
10. Sieve the stock and allow to cool
11. Skim any fat from the cooled stock and store in a fridge or freeze in small containers for convenient re-use