Stockage
A solid weekend at home, without a dinner party: time to replenish the stock supply. Weeks ago, Linda pointed out that this weekend was a rare stock opportunity. Fortunately, the local supermarket butcher, tired of turkeys, was willing to take some time out to chop me some veal bones.
So, a late start on Saturday means the veal stock will come off sometime between eleven and midnight. Then some of it will be frozen, and the rest will chill overnight before undergoing another eight hours of simmering (with wine and shallots) to become the winter's store of demi-glace.
Yes, it's worth it. But, yes, it's a big tsimmes.
Later: I could only bear to part with a pint of dark veal stock. All the rest chilled overnight, and is now barely simmering again. I added a bottle of inexpensive pinot noir, heated with some chopped shallot and reduced 50%. Linda's cleaning the ice cube trays; when it comes to demi-glace, we're a well-oiled machine.