Veal Broth
Refrigerate the broth overnight. The next day, skim off and discard the fat layer from the top.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 3 cups
- 2½ pounds veal bones (meaty ones)
- 6 cups cold water
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 parsnip, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ bunch of parsley
- 5 sprigs of thyme
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut or break the veal bones into several pieces. Put into a baking dish with sides, in a single layer. Roast for 30 minutes.
Add the vegetables and roast for 30 more minutes. Remove from the oven.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bones and vegetables to a soup pot. Pour 1 cup of the water into the baking dish and use a wooden spoon to loosen any cooked-on bits from the bottom of the dish; add this to the soup pot, along with the remaining 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 hours, uncovered.
Add the herbs and simmer 1 hour longer.
Strain the mixture and cool it to room temperature by immersing the pot in a bath of ice water.
Taking Stock
Adventurous cooks who get into diverse cuisines look to broths that provide an appropriate palette on which to build their dishes. By adding one or two ingredients to the Basic Vegetable Broth recipe, you can make many stocks with just that one recipe. For Chinese stock, add one thinly sliced two-inch piece of fresh ginger and two sliced garlic cloves (in addition to the original five the recipe calls for). For Vietnamese stock, add one star anise and one chopped stalk of lemongrass (or ¼ cup dried). When making stocks for Mexican foods, add one ancho chili pod and one cinnamon stick. For Middle Eastern dishes, a stock with the zest of one lemon adds another dimension.
