A good quality stock is a wonderful basis for soups, casseroles, gravies, or to add flavour and nourishment to any meat or vege dish. This basic recipe can really be used with any kind of bones, but I generally use beef bones (free from the butcher) or mutton bones (from our sheep). If I've cooked a roast, I place left over bones in the freezer to use in the next batch of stock (skipping the first step below), but otherwise make it from raw bones as follows.
Ingredients (for making in large 9ltr crockpot* - yields 3-4 litres finished stock)
Roughly 2- 2.5kg bones
2-3 onions, peeled and quartered
3 large carrots, peeled and halved in both directions
3-4 sticks celery, roughly chopped
1 whole garlic bulb, halved horizontally without peeling (today I used three small ones fresh from the garden, where this year's crop is dismal)
6 bay leaves
3-4 sprigs thyme
A few stalks of parsley
Sea salt to taste
Optional: a few fennel seeds and black peppercorns
Roughly 2- 2.5kg bones
2-3 onions, peeled and quartered
3 large carrots, peeled and halved in both directions
3-4 sticks celery, roughly chopped
1 whole garlic bulb, halved horizontally without peeling (today I used three small ones fresh from the garden, where this year's crop is dismal)
6 bay leaves
3-4 sprigs thyme
A few stalks of parsley
Sea salt to taste
Optional: a few fennel seeds and black peppercorns
Method:
Place bones in a roasting dish, sprinkle with salt, and roast at 180C for about 45 mins. Place bones into crockpot. Add a little water to roasting dish and heat gently on stove until you can scrape loose all caramelised bits. Pour this into the crock pot. Add all veges and herbs. Cover with water. Place lid on, and cook on low for 12-18 hours.
Cool, lift out bulky items with tongs and set aside. Strain liquid, pour into containers, and freeze, or put in fridge for use soon. One completely cold, any fat will set on the surface. This may be easily removed before using.
* Note: If you don't have a crockpot/slow cooker, this stock may also be made in a large pot on the stove - simmer uncovered for 3-5 hours.
Note 2: I used to add some vinegar when making stock, in order to draw out the calcium and nutrients from the bones. I no longer do, as the vinegar can also draw out lead from the crockpot.
Place bones in a roasting dish, sprinkle with salt, and roast at 180C for about 45 mins. Place bones into crockpot. Add a little water to roasting dish and heat gently on stove until you can scrape loose all caramelised bits. Pour this into the crock pot. Add all veges and herbs. Cover with water. Place lid on, and cook on low for 12-18 hours.
Cool, lift out bulky items with tongs and set aside. Strain liquid, pour into containers, and freeze, or put in fridge for use soon. One completely cold, any fat will set on the surface. This may be easily removed before using.
* Note: If you don't have a crockpot/slow cooker, this stock may also be made in a large pot on the stove - simmer uncovered for 3-5 hours.
Note 2: I used to add some vinegar when making stock, in order to draw out the calcium and nutrients from the bones. I no longer do, as the vinegar can also draw out lead from the crockpot.
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Pick of finished stock to come :-)
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