Veal Demi-Glace

Description:

Demi-glace is a rich brown sauce that is a staple of French cuisine. It can be used by itself or as a base for other sauces. The term comes from the French word glace, which means icing or glaze. In this particular recipe, once the demi-glace is fully reduced, I reconstitute it with a full-bodied red wine and season with cracked pepper.

Ingredients:

10 lbs veal bones
3 carrots, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 bouquet garni (thyme, rosemary and parsley)
1 small can of tomato paste
1/2 cup full-bodied red wine (Shiraz or Grenache)
2 teaspoons racked pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place bones and vegetables in a roasting plan and place in oven for 45 minutes until brown. Rotate bones every 10 minutes to brown evenly.

Remove bones and vegetables and place in 20 qt or larger pot.

Place roasting pan over high heat and deglaze with approximately 4 cups of water, then transfer to pot with bones.

Add 8 quarts of cold water, tomato paste and bouquet garni to pot.

Place pot on high flame. As soon as the liquid starts to simmer, reduce heat to low simmer.

During the first hour, check every 10 minutes and skim off any froth that forms on the top of the liquid (you can use a laddle to do this).

Allow to simmer for up to 24 hours (minimum of 8 hours). Check every few hours and add more water as necessary to keep the bones covered.

Approximately every 1/2 hour, continue to laddle off any froth or sediments that rise to the top.

When stock is ready, strain stock through a fine mesh sieve (chinois). Tap side to let stock flow smoothly, but do not force liquid through. Discard all remaining bones and solids.

Store in refrigerator for up to one week before using. Prior to using, skim the surface to remove any excess fat.

To reduce to a demi-glace, simmer stock over medium to high heat for up to 5 hours until it is reduced to a thick syrup. Skin as necessary to remove any additional froth or sediments that rise to the top.

When the demi-glace is fully reduced, reconstitute it with the red wine and add the cracked pepper.  Cook again until reduced and serve.