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White Soup Stock II
4 lbs. knuckle of veal 2 quarts cold water 1 tablespoon salt 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns 1 onion 2 stalks celery Blade of mace Wipe meat, remove from bone, and cut in small pieces. Put meat, bone, water, and seasonings in kettle. Heat gradually to boiling-point, skimming frequently. Simmer four or five hours, and strain. If scum has been carefully removed, and soup is strained through double thickness of cheesecloth, stock will be quite clear.
A plain white stock of the sort every early twentieth-century kitchen kept on hand as the base for cream soups and white sauces. The method is sound; only the shopping and a few of the seasonings need translation.
- The hinge: never let it boilBring it to the boiling point, then hold it at a bare shiver, around 180-190F, with the surface barely trembling. A hard boil emulsifies fat and churns fine particles through the liquid, and straining alone will not undo the cloudiness.
- Knuckle of vealThis is the shank, joint and all, prized for the gelatin in its cartilage and marrow. Ask a butcher for veal shank cut crosswise into rounds, or substitute veal breast bones plus a split calf's foot.
- Blade of maceMace is the lacy aril around the nutmeg seed; a "blade" is one dried piece, roughly a quarter teaspoon of ground mace if that is all you can find, though equivalents vary.
- Water to meat ratioTwo quarts over four pounds of bone is a close, rich extraction. Keep the bones just covered as it reduces, topping up with cold water if they break the surface.
- SkimmingThe grey foam rises hardest as the pot comes up to heat. Take it off with a shallow ladle before it has a chance to be stirred back in, and do not stir the pot at any point.
- Straining and defattingCheesecloth in a doubled layer works, but ladle rather than pour so the sediment stays behind in the kettle. Chill overnight and lift the solid fat cap off before use.
- SaltA full tablespoon in two quarts is reasonable for stock used straight, but heavy if you plan to reduce it or build a sauce on it. Add half now and correct at the end.
- Yield and keepingExpect five to six cups after five hours and straining. It holds four days refrigerated, or freeze it in cup portions; a good knuckle stock will set to a firm jelly when cold.