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Medium Stock

Medium Stock is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic clear stock of ham, beef, vegetables, herbs and celery that's slowly simmered to reduce and intensify the flavours. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Medium Stock.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

400 minutes

Total Time:

420 minutes

Makes:

1l

Rating:

Tags : Sauce RecipesHerb RecipesPork RecipesBeef RecipesVegetable RecipesBritish Recipes

This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook. This recipe traditionally uses duck or goose giblets (at least in the original version) but also works very well with turkey giblets.

Original Recipe

105. INGREDIENTS. 4 lbs. of shin of beef, or 4 lbs. of knuckle of veal, or 2 lbs. of each; any bones, trimmings of poultry, or fresh meat, 1/2 a lb. of lean bacon or ham, 2 oz. of butter, 2 large onions, each stuck with 3 cloves; 1 turnip, 3 carrots, 1/2 a leek, 1 head of celery, 2 oz. of salt, 1/2 a teaspoonful of whole pepper, 1 large blade of mace, 1 small bunch of savoury herbs, 4 quarts and 1/2 pint of cold water.

Mode. Cut up the meat and bacon or ham into pieces about 3 inches square; rub the butter on the bottom of the stewpan; put in 1/2 a pint of water, the meat, and all the other ingredients. Cover the stewpan, and place it on a sharp fire, occasionally stirring its contents. When the bottom of the pan becomes covered with a pale, jelly-like substance, add 4 quarts of cold water, and simmer very gently for 5 hours. As we have said before, do not let it boil quickly. Skim off every particle of grease whilst it is doing, and strain it through a fine hair sieve.

This is the basis of many of the soups afterwards mentioned, and will be found quite strong enough for ordinary purposes.

Time. 5-1/2 hours. Average cost, 9d. per quart.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

1.8kg shin of beef (on the bone), meat cut into 7cm cubes (or 1.8kg knuckle of veal, meat cut into 7cm cubes or 900g bones plus 900g poultry trimmings)
225g lean bacon or ham, cut into 7cm cubes
60g butter
2 large onions, peeled
6 cloves
1 turnip, sliced
3 carrots, thickly sliced
1/2 leek, chopped
1 head of celery, chopped
2 tbsp sea salt
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 large blade of mace
1 small bunch of savoury herbs
4.3l cold water

Method:

Rub the butter over the base of a large stock pot. Add 300ml water along with the meat and all the remaining ingredients (except the 4l water), stud the onions with 3 cloves apiece and add these too. Place over the heat and bring to a brisk simmer then cover the pan and keep cooking, stirring occasionally, until the base of the pan becomes covered with a pale, jelly-like substance.

At this point add the 4l water then bring to a simmer and cook gently, uncovered, for about 5 hours (do not boil, or the liquid will not be clear). As the contents are cooking skim-off every particle of grease then finish by straining the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve.

Find more Mrs Beeton Recipes Hereand more Traditional Victorian Recipes Here