Veal stock is a rich liquid used as a base for sauces in French cuisine. It is made by cooking veal bones in water and reducing it over time. Vegetables and herbs can be added for flavor. There are two types of veal stock, brown and white. It has a mild meaty flavor and contains collagen for a consistent texture. The classic French method involves roasting the bones and simmering them in water to create a reimage.
Veal stock is a lightly flavored but very rich liquid used as a base for many types of sauces, especially in French cuisine. It is made by cooking veal bones in a large amount of water and reducing it over time to extract the flavour. Vegetables and herbs such as onions, celery, carrots, thyme and leeks can be used to enhance the overall flavor and complement the taste. There are two separate types of veal stock, the brown variety made from roasted bones and the white type which is nearly identical except the bones are not roasted first. Once the broth is complete, it can be further reduced to a thick glaze known as a demi-glace or almost syrupy state known as a glace de viande.
One reason veal stock is a valuable ingredient in many sauces and dishes is that, unlike beef stock, it has a mild meaty flavor that doesn’t usually overwhelm the other ingredients. Another aspect of veal stock is the increased amount of collagen found in the bones and cartilage of younger cattle. The collagen is extracted and held in the water of the broth, turning into a light jelly that gives the liquid a rich and consistent texture in the mouth. The slow process of extracting the collagen and other flavorings in veal bones can take more than a day in some cases, which has given veal a reputation for being difficult to prepare.
There are several ways to make veal stock, but the easiest is to boil the bones twice. This method involves first boiling the veal bones to cook them through, then placing the cooked bones in a new pot of water and reducing the liquid until a stock has formed. While simple, this method isn’t often used in high-end presentations because the stock tends to appear cloudy.
One of the more classic French methods of preparing veal stock begins with roasting the bones, along with any aromatics that will be used, in an oven until golden brown. The browned ingredients are then boiled in water until the broth comes together. After this first batch of liquid is strained and set aside, the bones are placed in a second pot of water and simmered for hours, until a second, lighter broth is created, known as a reimage. The final step is to combine the first and second liquids in a single pan and reduce them together in the final veal stock.
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