in a recipe book, this would go in the last section, the one called 'basic recipes', or some such title. these are items which often have a frozen/packaged/dehydrated alternative on a supermarket shelf near you, & i have to say, there are some pretty good products available out there these days
-check out jamie oliver's 30 minute meals show on tv, he uses this stuff all the time
-even marco pierre white endorses a range of stocks, & i refuse to believe it's cos he needs the coin
anyway, as with all things, getting the basics right sets you up for everything that follows & while bought varieties are available, nothing beats making yr own. certainly it is no small matter in a professional restaurant kitchen, where as a cook it is a proud moment when the job of making the restaurant's stocks becomes ones own! indeed, the success/failure of a dish, especially one with as few ingredients as french onion soup, rests with the quality of a good stock.
so then, the recipe:
-beef bones: ask the butcher for bones which will 2/3 fill that nice big pot in the cupboard at home. scrappy, with meaty bits & marrow, you'll pay only $3or$4 for a bag;
-carrot/onion/celery/leek: chopped into a mirepoix of big chunks;
-bouquet garni: bay leaf, parsley stalks, peppercorns, thyme, loose or tied in a wee bit of muslin ;
-put the lot in a big pot, cover them in twice the amount of cold water required;
-bring quickly to the boil, then immediately turn down to a gentle simmer, where it stays for 6-8 hrs. scummy greasy froth may form on top & that's just fine, skim it off & pigbin it;
-strain it well, keeping the liquid & putting it back on the heat & reduce it. the broth will go a deep rich golden brown colour, sticky to touch & will set like jelly overnight in the fridge. at this point, i freeze mine & cut into cubes, storing it in the freezer til i have a use for it (chicken/beef/fish/buerre blanc)
-you can repeat this process every day or every other day, adding yesterday's stock to the new stock pot. over a few days your stock will develop in strength & character.
things NOT to do -boil it/cover it/stir it/add potatoes or cabbage/put it hot in the fridge
i remember you making a a beef stock in ma's kitchen a million years ago. it took a couple of days and i was amazed when i saw that massive NASA pot that had been nearly full to the brim, was reduced to a cup or two of thick liquid. the house smelled like boeuf for about 72 hours... and the excitement in your eyes was fantastic.
ReplyDeleteand it was good. f.