Veal Stock

5 lb Veal bones (loin or knuckle)
1 tb Olive oil
5 Ripe tomatoes, quartered
2 Leeks, coarsely chopped
5 Celery stalks, coarsely chopped
4 lg Carrots, coarsely chopped
6 qt Water
4 Bay leaves
1 Bunch fresh parsley
2 Bunches fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put bones in a large roasting pan and brown in the oven about 1 hour, turning them every 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a large stock pot combine the olive oil, tomatoes, leeks, celery, and carrots and saute over high heat for 15 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the bones, water, and herbs and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Reduce heat and simmer for 4 1/2 to 5 hours, skimming the surface every half hour until all remnants of fat and foam disappear. Remove from heat and carefully strain the stock through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Discard the contents of the sieve.

Refrigerate stock 3 hours, then remove solidified fat from the top.

The stock will keep 5 days in a covered container.

Although better fresh, the stock can also be frozen in ice cube trays; the cubes can be stored in plastic bags in the freezer for several months. Larger quantities of stock can be poured directly into plastic bags and stored in the freezer.

NOTE: The flavor of veal stock is unlike that of any other stock; it has a distinctively delicious taste. I strongly advise you to use veal stock when it is suggested in a recipe. The loin bones and knuckles can be purchased at your local butcher; usually they are available in the early morning. Be sure to ask for bones with the marrow, which contains most of the flavor. Yield: 4 quarts

From Native American Cooking by Lois Ellen Frank
From the recipe collection of Fred Towner