recipes & tips

Veal stock is the culinary equivalent of the basic little black dress. Dress it up or dress it down, it will always produce a rich, intensely flavorful sauce.
You may purchase one of the high-quality frozen stock products available in gourmet markets. But, if you have time to make it from scratch for this Bordelaise Sauce, make a gallon and freeze it in small containers for future dinners.

Ask your butcher for six pounds of veal bones. Roast the bones in a 450-degree oven until they are dark brown-black, about 15 or 20 minutes. Remove from the roasting pan and place in a large, heavy pot, along with one pound each of coarsely chopped onion, carrot, celery and washed leeks. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for six hours. While it cooks, continually skim the grease off the stock with a large soup ladle.
After six hours, pour the stock through a large sieve; discard the solids. Return the stock to a clean pot and allow it to reduce further, by about 50 percent, for a rich demi-glace.