STORIES · 16.01.19
Food | Recipes | Sustainability
Over the past few years, boiling bones to make broths has become popular again, which makes me very happy. With sustainability at the heart of Daylesford’s founding principles, reducing waste and using every part of an animal that has been slaughtered is something that’s very important to us. But making bone broths is also a means of sustaining a tradition I grew up with, which was second nature to my parents’ and grandparent’s generations.
Bone broths are packed with nutrients, so in January as many of us turn to nourishing recipes, the broths are a good source of proteins and vitamins. And for those of us trying to keep our skin youthful, the collagen in the bones is wonderful for boosting skin health, as well as keeping our guts healthy.
Below are two broth recipes from my book Nurture. I sometimes have the broth as a snack, but you can also use them as a stock for cooking vegetables and making soups and stews. I know the cooking time might seem long but extracting the nutrients from bones takes time and the longer you boil them, the better for you they will be.
the collagen in the bones is good for boosting skin health, as well as keeping our guts healthy
beef bone broth
Makes 2–2.5 litres
2.5kg beef bones
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 small onions, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp tomato purée
10g thyme sprigs
5.5 litres cold water
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas 6.
Place the bones in a roasting tray and roast for 1 hour.
Put the vegetable oil into a large stockpot, add the carrot , onion, leek and celery and cook over a medium heat, until golden brown, then add the tomato purée and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the thyme and water and then the roasted bones, ensuring none of the fat from the roasting tray goes into the liquid. Bring to a simmer and then skim off all the fat. Leave to simmer for a minimum of 10 hours, skimming constantly. Do not let it boil rapidly or the stock will go cloudy. Pass the stock through a fine sieve and chill, removing any fat from the surface before using. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
chicken bone broth
Makes 2–2.5 litres
1 white onion, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
6 fennel bulbs, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1.1kg chicken bones/carcass
10g thyme sprigs
5 litres cold water
Put the vegetable oil into a large stockpot, add the carrot , onion, leek and celery and cook over a medium heat, until golden brown, then add the tomato purée and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the thyme and water and then the roasted bones, ensuring none of the fat from the roasting tray goes into the liquid. Bring to a simmer and then skim off all the fat. Leave to simmer for a minimum of 10 hours, skimming constantly. Do not let it boil rapidly or the stock will go cloudy. Pass the stock through a fine sieve and chill, removing any fat from the surface before using. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
