Fresh Calf's-feet Stock
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Scald and clean the calf's feet thoroughly.
Place the feet in a saucepan with 2 quarts of cold water.
Make the stock
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 6 to 7 hours.
Remove the feet and strain the liquid into a deep dish.
The next day, carefully remove the fat from the top.
Boil the strained liquid again until it reduces to 1 quart of thick stock or jelly.
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
- Calf's feet
- Release collagen and gelatin into the water, giving the finished stock body and a jelly-like set.
- Cold water
- Acts as the cooking liquid that slowly extracts flavour and gelatin from the feet.
The step that matters
Removing the fat after chilling. Fat solidifies on top of the cooled stock overnight, so it can be lifted off cleanly. Skimming it before the reduction keeps the finished stock clear and prevents greasiness.
“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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