BASIC BROWN STOCK

Steps:

• Bones should be cut into 3 to 4 inch pieces.
• Place the bones in a roasting pan in a hot oven (400 F/200 C) and brown them well.
• Remove bones from pan and place in a stock pot.
• Cover with water and bring to a simmer.
• Simmer, skimming impurities from top of water as they rise.
• Drain and reserve the fat from the roasting pan.
• Deglaze* the pan with water and add to the stockpot.
• Mirepoix.
• Toss the onions, carrots and celery in some of the reserved fat, add to the roasting pan and brown well in the oven.
• (Browning may be done on top of the stove if desired) Add the browned mirepoix and the tomato puree to the stock pot.
• Continue to simmer.
• Prepare the sachet by placing the bay leaf, thyme, peppercons, parsley stems and whole clove in a square of cheese cloth.
• Tie with a string, leaving one end of the string long enough to tie to the stockpot handle.
• Add the sachet to the stockpot.
• Tie the string to the stockpot handle.
• Continue to simmer the stock for a total cooking time of 5-6 hours, skimming the surface as necessary.
• Add water as needed to keep bones covered.
• Strain through a china cap lined with several layers of cheesecloth.
• Cool the stock, vented, in a cold water bath and then refrigerate.
• *Todeglaze the pan, carefully add a little water to the warm pan, stirring to loosen the bits of meat and bone left in the pan.