Veal brown stock and sauce espagnole

The juices made and saved from meat and vegetable cookery are so important that in France they are called bases or "fonds".

Cut in pieces and brown in a 350F oven
- 6 pounds veal marrow bones

Place them in a large stock pot with
- 4 quarts water
- 8 black peppercorns
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 3 sprigs parsley
- 1 large diced carrot
- 3 diced stalks celery
- 1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 1 medium diced onion

 Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours or until reduced by half.
Strain stock, cool uncovered and refrigerate.

Sauce espagnole (Brown sauce)

This is one of the "sauces mères" of the french cuisine, the basis for many other sauces and dishes.

Melt in a heavy sauce pan
- ½ cup beef or veal drippings

Add
- 1 cup mirepoix (Diced carrot, onion and celery mixed together)

When this begins to brown, add
- ½ cup flour
and stir until the flour is a good brown.

Then add
- 10 black peppercorns
- 2 cups tomato puree
- ½ cup coarsely chopped parsley
stir and mix well.

Then add
8 cups veal brown stock

Simmer on the stove for about 2 hours or until reduced by half.
Stir occasionally and skim off the fat as it rises to the top.
Strain the sauce and stir occasionally as it cools to prevent a skin forming.

The making of a good espagnole is a mark of an accomplished saucier.

BON APPETIT