Broth, stock, fond blanc, or caldo, no matter what it is called is all the same thing: animal bones cooked in water with some vegetables (mirepoix) and herbs/aromatics (bouquet garni) added for additional flavour. These are French terms commonly used in professional kitchens as the French standardized the modern kitchen. Stocks have been getting made in all cultures for centuries.
The ability to make a good stock is essential in any professional kitchen as it is the base of many things. They are ridiculously simple to make.
Ingredients
1.5 kg Beef marrow bones
1.5 kg Beef chuck bones
1 ea Carrots, unpeeled and diced
1 ea Brown onion, cut in ½
1 ea Celery stalks, washed and large diced
1/2 ea Leeks washed and large diced
1 ea Garlic bulb, cut in half horizontally
1 ea Bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon Black peppercorns whole
4 ea Thyme sprigs, fresh
3 ea Parsley stalks, fresh
2 ea Rosemary stalks
5 L Water
Yield: 5L
#proofofwork
Method:
- Pre heat the oven to 200c
- Place the bones and veg on separate roasting trays and place in the oven for about 45-50 minutes or until you have a nice brown roasted colour on your bones and veg.
- Remove bones from the roasting trays and place them into a large stock pot, avoid adding any fat from the trays.
- Discard the fat from the roasting trays and then heat the trays on a stove top and deglaze with water and using a wooden spoon scrap off the residual deposits. Now pour this over your bones in the pot and cover with the water.
- Place the stock on a high heat and bring to the boil, once your stock is boiling turn it down to a simmer and skim the scum. Leave on a low heat overnight.
- Next day skim any fat and scum that is on the surface of the stock and add your roasted vegetables, herbs, garlic & pepper.
- You should simmer your stock, not rapidly boil it for a further 2 hours. Make sure you skim the scum and fat off your stock every 30 minutes at least.
- When finished strain the stock. Store label and date.