Homemade Demi-Glace

[Chris_]

This rich, concentrated sauce is well worth the time it takes to make it. It can be swirled into soups and stews to lend complex flavor or used as a base for countless sauces.

10 lbs. veal bones
3 carrots, roughly chopped
2 onions, roughly chopped
1 white part of leek, roughly chopped (optional)
1 Bouquet Garni
1  6-oz. can tomato paste

1. Roast the bones: Browning bones and vegetables in a roasting pan in the oven before combining them in a pot with water gives this stock a more pronounced flavor and deeper color. Veal bones have more collagen than beef bones; simmering the bones transforms the collagen into gelatin, which makes for a thicker, richer stock. Heat oven to 500°. Put bones into a roasting pan large enough to hold them in a single layer and roast until lightly browned, about 1–1 1⁄2 hours. Add carrots, onions, and leeks to the pan and spread them evenly around the bones. At Le Ferrandi and many French restaurants, they leave celery out of their stocks, as they believe it to be too assertive. Roast the bones and vegetables until they are deeply browned, about 45 minutes more.

2. Deglaze the pan: Transfer bones and vegetables to a 15–20-qt. stockpot. Place roasting pan over 2 burners on stove over medium heat. Add 3 cups water to pan; begin scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. These caramelized morsels of concentrated juice, called the fond—literally, the foundation—will enrich the stock. Simmer for 3 minutes; transfer liquid to pot of bones. Add bouquet garni and tomato paste. The paste will give the stock a deeper flavor and color.

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Saveur

I can't find veal bones for sale around here -- I would probably use oxtail and spare ribs.  For the last year or so, I've been keeping leftover bones in the freezer.  I've probably got a mix of beef and pork bones at this point.

Here is a slightly easier recipe.

[Eupher]

It's surprising how many cooks fail to understand the importance of high temps in the oven to ROAST DEM BONES. Most of the time on cooking shows they give a wimpy 425 deg. for an hour kind of thing.

ROAST DEM BONES!

DAMMIT!!!!

[Chris_]

I worked at a place that made their demi-glace from scratch.  Its great on just about every kind of meat aside from chicken.  For that, they have Glace de Poulet.