The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [416]
beef stock
MAKES 6 QUARTS
You can ask your butcher to cut veal bones into small pieces for you.
8 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
4 sprigs fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
2 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 pound beef stew meat, cubed
5 pounds veal bones, cut into small pieces
1 large onion, unpeeled and quartered
2 large carrots, cut into thirds
2 celery stalks, cut into thirds
2 cups dry red wine
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Tie the parsley, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni. Set aside.
2. Arrange the beef stew meat, veal bones, onion, carrots, and celery in an even layer in a heavy roasting pan. Roast, turning every 20 minutes, until the vegetables and the bones are deep brown, about 1½ hours. Transfer the meat, bones, and vegetables to a large stockpot, and set aside. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan, and discard. Place the pan over high heat on the stove. Add the red wine, and stir, using a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan; boil until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into the stockpot.
3. Add 6 quarts cold water to the stockpot, or more if needed to cover bones. Do not use less water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer so that bubbles occasionally rise to the surface. Add the reserved bouquet garni. Skim the foam from the surface. Continue to simmer the stock over the lowest possible heat for 3 hours. A skin will form on the surface of the liquid; skim off with a slotted spoon. Repeat as needed. Add water if at any time the surface level drops below the bones.
4. Prepare an ice-water bath. Strain the stock through a fine sieve, or a cheesecloth-lined strainer, into a large bowl. Discard the solids. Transfer the bowl to the ice-water bath, and let the stock cool to room temperature.
5. Transfer the stock to airtight containers. The stock may be labeled at this point and refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 4 months. If using the stock for a recipe, refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight so the fat collects on the top and can be removed. If storing, leave the fat layer intact; it seals the stock.
court bouillon
MAKES 6 QUARTS
Court bouillon, the vegetable and herb broth traditionally used for poaching fish, imparts subtle flavor to the fish as it cooks. The bouillon can be made 2 or 3 days ahead. If preparing the fish the same day, make the bouillon right in the poacher.
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
½ teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 750-ml bottle dry white wine
1 leek, white and pale-green parts, sliced into ¼-inch rounds, well washed
2 medium carrots, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
1 lemon, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
3 dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons coarse salt
Fit a 10-quart fish poacher with a rack in the bottom, and place the poacher over 2 burners on top of the stove (or use a large stockpot). Fill with 7 quarts water (about three-quarters full). Tie the thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and fennel seeds together in a small piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni, and place in the poacher; add the wine, leek, carrots, lemon, bay leaves, and salt. Cover, and bring to a simmer. Uncover; gently simmer for 30 minutes. Discard the bouquet garni. Let the bouillon cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. The bouillon can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.
vegetable stock
MAKES 3 QUARTS
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
2 parsnips, coarsely chopped
1 celery