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4 pounds lamb shanks or shoulder chops or
other meaty bones
2 onions, peeled and cut into quarters
1 leek, trimmed and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 rib celery, trimmed and chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme; or 1 tsp dried
about 1 cup dry white or red wine
about 2 quarts water
1 bay leaf
6 black peppercorns
salt |
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Method :
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the
meaty bones, onions, leeks, carrot, celery and thyme in a large roasting
pan and roast, stirring once or twice, until the meat and vegetables are
well browned, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and discard any
excess fat. Add the wine to the pan, scraping up any browned roasting
juices.
Transfer the contents of the roasting pan
to a large stock or soup pot and cover with the water, bay leaf,
peppercorns, and a sprinkling of salt. (There should be enough water in
the pan to cover the meat completely.) Bring the stock to a boil over
high heat, reduce the heat to moderately low, partially cover, and
gently simmer until it is well flavored, 120-150 minutes. Skim off any
fat or white froth that floats to the top of the pan as the stock is
simmering. If the flavor of the stock becomes too concentrated, add more
water and/ or wine as needed.
Remove the pot from the heat and let the
stock cool. Strain the stock and discard any excess fat that has floated
to the top. Let the stock cool at room temperature or it may sour.
Refrigerate or freeze until needed.
Makes about 2 quarts
The secret to good soup and rich sauce is
really good homemade stock. The traditional way to make stock is simply
to place meaty bones, vegetables and seasonings into a stockpot, cover
with cold water, and simmer until flavorful. But if you want a really
rich, beautifully colored, flavorful stock, the secret is roasting. When
you roast meaty bones with fresh vegetables, stir a touch of wine into
the pan, scraping up the browned juices, and then simmer the roasted
mixture with water, you get a spectacular stock. There is a little bit
more effort involved in making a roasted stock, but it's well worth it.
Instead of using lamb bones, you can
substitute 4 pounds of veal breast for a veal stock, 6 pounds of chicken
(backs, bones and necks works best) for a rich chicken stock, or 6
pounds of beef bones for a beef stock, and proceed with the recipe as
directed above. The stock can be frozen for several months and defrosted
as needed. Use this stock when you want a meaty flavor in soups and
sauces.
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