Vegetarian Stock

Clear and pure and full of the deep flavors of root vegetables and herbs and the sharp tastes of garlic and onion, this vegetable stock is bound to become a staple in your freezer. It can be used as the base for all vegetarian soups and stews and it's what you'll turn to when you want to make a potager risotto or other grain dishes. Like all stocks, this one should be made without salt so that, when you need to cook it down and concentrate its flavors in any recipe, it doesn't end up unbearably salty.

Ingredients:

• 5 onions, peeled, trimmed, and quartered
• 5 carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch-long pieces
• 4 stalks celery, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch-long pieces
• 2 small to medium leeks, split lengthwise, cut into 1-inch-long pieces, and washed
• 1/2 fennel bulb, trimmed, and cut in half
• 2 small heads garlic, cut crosswise in half
• 2 small bay leaves
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, washed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons juniper berries
• 2 1/2 gallons water

Procedure:

Put all of the ingredients in a tall stockpot - a lobster pot works well here. Bring to the boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook, skimming the foam that rises to the surface, for 3 hours.

Strain the stock through a colander and then through a chinois or fine-mesh sieve; discard the solids. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. (The stock can be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator for 4 days or frozen for up to a month.)

Daniel Boulud's Café Boulud Cookbook

Makes about 1 gallon