And now, mes apprentis, we will start our recipes with the simplest and least expensive of the soups, the bouillon (stock) made with bones, vegetables and water:
Bouillon (Brown Stock from Bones and Vegetables)
Spread 3 to 4 pounds of beef bones and 1 to 2 pounds of veal bones, both cut in rather small pieces, in a roasting pan and strew over the top 1 large carrot and 1 large onion, both peeled and cut into thick slices. Put the pan in a hot oven (400° F.) to roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bones and vegetables are a good brown. Transfer the bones and vegetables to a large soup kettle and add 5 quarts water. (Discard the fat from the pan in which the bones were browned, add some water, and bring it to a boil, thus capturing the juice clinging to the pan. Turn the liquid into the soup kettle.) Add a handful of celery stalks and tops, 1 or 2 leeks, 1 onion, 1 carrot, several sprays of parsley, 1 tablespoon salt, and 5 to 6 peppercorns. Add any trimmings from beef or veal, raw or cooked, that may be on hand and, if possible, the carcass of a roast chicken. Bring the liquid slowly to a boil, skimming until the scum ceases to rise. Then simmer for at least 3 hours. There should be 3 or more quarts of liquid at the end of the cooking.
Remove the bones and vegetables carefully from the kettle and ladle the bouillon through cheesecloth, working carefully to avoid stirring up the stock and clouding it. Pour it into clean jars, cool as quickly as possible, and store in the refrigerator: It will keep for 4 or 5 days. When ready to use, discard the fat from the top. A fine layer of sediment may have settled at the bottom of the jar, and in removing the soup be careful not to disturb this as it will cloud the liquid. If the bouillon is to be used as stock, reduce it to strengthen the flavor.Correct the seasoning with salt.
For a more richly flavored stock, or bouillon, meat is used and the dish is called pot-au-feu, a well-known one which is the traditional Sunday dinner in many French homes. The bouillon from the pot-au-feu is eaten first with crusts of French bread, and then the meat is sliced and eaten with the vegetables. Any leftover meat is used for bacbis (hash) for another day's dinner and the remaining bouillon is on hand to be used as stock for other soups or sauces.
About three-quarters of a pound of meat and bone is needed for each quart of water used. Sometimes extra chicken bones and chicken feet, cleaned, scalded, and skinned, are added to improve the flavor. Or a small fowl can be added. The preferred cut is rump or shin of beef, but the shoulder—called paleron in French—or fresh brisket, is also used. In fact, any parts that are not tender enough to roast or broil are suitable, but those that have some fat layered through are better than the leanest cuts. One word of warning: Never cook cabbage in the pot-au-feu. It gives a strong flavor to the bouillon, the bouillon will not keep as well, and it cannot be used for sauces. If you like cabbage with your pot-au-feu, cook it separately in a small pot with a little of the bouillon.
Pof-au-Feu (Beef Stock from Beef, Bones, and Vegetables)
Put a beef and a veal bone, cut into pieces, in the bottom of large soup kettle or an earthenware marmite. (If using the latter put an asbestos mat under it to prevent it cracking.) Add a 3 ½-pound piece of beef, 4 ½ quarts water, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring the water to a boil, carefully removing the scum that comes to the surface. Add about ½ cup cold water once or twice to encourage the scum to rise, turn the heat to medium, and boil very gently, merely simmering, for 2 hours. Add 3 carrots, 1 white turnip, 1 parsnip, 4 or 5 leeks tied in a bundle, 1 large onion stuck with a clove, 1 clove of garlic, and a bouquet garni made by tying together 2 stalks of celery, 4 sprays of parsley, ½ bay leaf, and a sprig of thyme. The vegetables should be cleaned and peeled and left whole unless they are very large. Bring the liquid again to a boil and continue to simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours longer. Remove all the surface fat and correct the seasoning.
This bouillon does not have a dark color; it is traditionally a light-colored bouillon. If a darker color is desired brown an onion in a little butter and add it. However, if the bouillon is to be used as a stock in sauces it is best to keep it very light in color. Strain the bouillon through cheesecloth before serving. Cool the bouillon which is to be stored for future use very quickly, and to not cover while it is cooling. It will seep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
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