Recipe: Stock Brown

Recipe

Stock Brown

Yields: 5 gallons Preparation Time: 24:00

Ingredients

10 lb beef bones *
10 lb veal bones *
5 lb chicken backs or cleaned feet

Dark Mirepoix

1/2 head celery, large chopped
1/2 bunchleeks chopped
2 large onions chopped
2 lb carrots chopped
6 oz tomato purée
1 head garlic crushed
1 ham hock—sawn
1/2 bunch parsley stems
5 each bay leaves
1 tbl peppercorns crushed
1/2 tbl thyme leaf
1/2 liter red wine
5 gallons water

Preparation

Place the bones on a bed of dark mirepoix in a roast pan. Pour the tomato purée over them. Add remaining ingredients except wine and water. Roast in a 350 F oven until well browned. Do not let anything burn. Baste with red wine to prevent mirepoix from burning at the rear of the pan, where the oven is hottest.
Transfer the contents of the pan to a stock pot. Deglaze the pan with water, scraping any dried essences with hot water to dissolve them. Add the deglazing to the stock pot.
Add cold water to the stock pot to cover the bones completely. Bring to the boil, then simmer for up to 18 hours, with skimming to remove any scum that rises. Scald clean containers, and strain stock into each, seeing some fat into each to act as a protective cap. Cover with Saran wrap and cool.

This will keep at least a week, but should be part of the regular weekly mise en place. Excess should be frozen or reduced for glace d'viand, a 10-1 reduction. The fat from the top is nice to use for making brown roux, as it has just the right color and flavor.

If this is to be used for making Sauce Espagnol, you can sprinkle 1 lb of flour over the mirepoix and bones. Allow the flour to brown, but not burn. Turn it under and sprinkle with red wine or water, and lower the oven temperature.When I add flour to this, I call it Estoufade instead of calling it Fonds Brun (Brown Stock).

Nothing should be allowed to carbonize or turn black, as the flavor of carbonized flour or veg is bitter.

* Note: Have only the freshest bones sawn in 2-4 inch lengths, and include some beef neck bones, and if obtainable, a split calves foot.

While you can cut this recipe in half, I can hardly imagine going to the trouble of making stock for a smaller quantity than two gallons or so. I understand that in most homes the problem is not having a large enough pot. Get one and you will wonder how you ever lived without it. Mine snowbirds with me!