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Cow-heel Stock for Jelly

A stock made from cow heels, simmered for hours to extract collagen.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 3 ingredients
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Cow-heel Stock for Jelly

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Divide the cow-heels into four pieces.

  2. Pour 3 quarts of cold water over the heels.

Make the stock

  1. Bring the mixture slowly to a boil and skim the liquid carefully.

  2. Simmer gently for 7 hours, until reduced to 3 pints.

  3. If needed, add 1 ounce of isinglass for firmness.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Cow-heels
Provide collagen-rich connective tissue that breaks down into gelatin, giving the stock body and set.
Isinglass
Adds extra gelling power, firming the stock when it cools.

The step that matters

Skim the liquid carefully as it comes to a boil. Impurities and foam that rise early can cloud the stock and taint its flavour. Removing them while the liquid heats keeps the finished stock clear and clean-tasting.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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