Veal Stock.... Why spend three days making something that ultimately amounts to two tupperware containers in my freezer. For me, it boils (no pun intended) down to two reasons:
1. Just about every single recipe in the French Laundry cookbook calls for veal stock.
and
2. For me, it is exceedingly relaxing to cook, and a little relaxing was in order.
And what's the appeal of
veal stock as opposed to a more standard beef stock? Apparently veal bones, coming from a younger animal, contain more collagen in them. When this collagen is extracted from the bones in a lengthy cooking process, it enriches the stock with a 'velvety' smoothness, like that of a Mermaid's song, or a pirate doing origami, if you know what I mean...
So, in a greatly abridged form, here's how it went (adapted from Thomas Keller's
French Laundry Cookbook):
Veal bones. Little tough to find.
After a thorough rinsing, put the bones in big pot with water (water not shown).
Bring to boil. Remove bones. Removed bones shown above.
Stick bones back in the pot with more water and
les accoutrements - tomato, leek, carrot, onion, tomato paste, garlic, and bay leaves. Andre was not added.
Slowly bring everything to a simmer.
After about 8 hours (and constant spooning of residue/foam which floats to the top), you get the above.
Believe it or not, this was only the end of day one. I then strained the above mixture (known as the "first reduction") until it was without obsessively smooth. Upon tasting, the stock at this point was both intense in beefy flavor yet with subdued aggression.
The next day, I made the "second reduction" by boiling those same bones with water and basically going through the same process - skim, skim, skim while the mixture comes slowly comes to a boil.
At the end of day two, I have the above (first reduction on right, second reduction on left)
The next step involved the "marriage" of the two reductions. Basically pour them both in one big stock pot and reduce for 10 hours. After about 80% of it boils away, I finally have veal stock:
If ever one has wondered about what is the essence of umami - the so-called 5th taste - they should taste this stock. It's unabashedly savory, meaty, 'beefy', and pure. Try melting it down (once it's in the fridge it gelatinizes due to all that collagen - remember?!), add a bit of salt, and pour over a steak. Perfect.
