Beef Stock from Culinary Fundamentals

Yield: 2 quarts

Categories: Soup

Source: Culinary Fundamentals
Copyright: Prentice Hall

Ingredients:

1 fluid ounce Vegetable oil

4 pounds Beef hind shank, cut crosswise

3 quarts Cold water

2 teaspoons Salt

8 ounces Mirepoix, medium dice

4 ounces Tomato concassé

1 each Sachet d'epices

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour the oil into a half sheet pan or roasting pan and place the pan in the oven. When the oil is hot, after about 5 minutes, add the beef shank pieces to the pan and roast, turning brown all sides evenly, 30 minutes. (Note: Roasting the beef is optional, but contributes a rich color and flavor in the finished broth.)

2. Put the beef shank pieces into a stock pot and add the cold water. The water should cover the bones by about 2 inches. Add the salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to establish a gentle simmer. Skim the surface with a skimmer or a spoon as necessary throughout simmering time. 

3. While the broth comes to a simmer, add the mirepoix and tomato concassé to the same pan used to roast the bones and return to the oven. Roast until the onions are golden and the tomatoes have a rich, sweet aroma, 15 to 20 minutes. After the broth has simmered for 2 hours, add the roasted vegetables to the pot. Add a ladle full of the broth to the roasting pan and stir well to release any drippings. Add these to the pot as well. Continue to simmer for another hour.

4. Add the sachet to the broth after it has simmered a total of 3 hours and continue to simmer until the broth is richly flavored with a good body, another hour. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper is necessary.

5. Strain the broth through a fine wire mesh sieve or cheesecloth. It is ready to serve now, use as an ingredient in another dish, or it may be properly cooled and stored for later use.

PAELLA A LA VELENCIANA (Spain): Chicken and Seafood Rice

Tonight a friend of mine from Jersey was asking me about Paella.  Last spring, I cooked some paella dishes and here are the recipe in this blog post.

PAELLA A LA VELENCIANA (Spain)

Chicken and Seafood Rice

Yield:  4 Portions

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz.	Pork, lean, diced
4 ea.	Chicken legs, cut into thighs and drumsticks
3 oz.	Olive oil
2 ea.	Garlic cloves, chopped
6 oz.	Onion, small dice
6 oz.	Red pepper, small dice
6 oz.	Green pepper, small dice
3/4 lb.	Rice, short grain
1/2 tsp.	Saffron, crushed
1/4 tsp.	Salt
1/2  cup	Chicken stock, hot
2 lb.	Clams, fresh littleneck, cleaned
2 lb.	Mussels, fresh, cleaned
2 lb.	Shrimp, 16/20, P&D
1 lb.	Chorizo link, cooked, sliced
8 oz.	Tomato concasse, small dice
4 oz.	Carrots, small dice
4 oz.	Peas (garden)
4 oz.	Scallions, sliced
2 ea.	Lemons

Method:

1.                  Brown the chicken and pork in the olive oil. Remove and reserve.

2.                  Sauté the garlic, onion, and peppers in the reserved oil.

3.                  Add the rice, saffron and salt. Stir until the rice is coated with oil.

4.                  Add the stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan and place it in a 400- degree F.          oven. Cook the rice mixture for 8 minutes.

5.                  Place the clams and mussels on top the rice. Check the rice periodically and add more stock or water if necessary. Replace the cover and return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes.

6.                  Add the shrimp, chorizo, tomato concasse, carrots and peas. Return the pan to the oven and cook paella until the shrimp is cooked through and all the ingredients are very hot.

7.  Garnish the paella with the scallions and strips of roasted red pepper. Drizzle with juice of 1 lemon. Cover the paella pan and allow the paella to rest for 10 minutes. Wedge the remaining lemons and serve with the paella.