Veal stock

Pre-heat oven to 180C fan-forced.

Place bones and trotter into a large roasting dish and cook (1-1½ hours) until brown and caramelised. Remove when done.

Meanwhile, place vegetables in large stockpot with olive oil, cook over a medium heat until well caramelised and brown.

Remove veal bones from tray with tongs and add to pot, leaving behind the excess oil and fat. Fill pot with cold water.

Add herbs and peppercorns to stockpot and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Place the oven tray onto a naked flame and heat, pour off excess oil. Add in 2-3 cups red wine or water and deglaze (remove sediment) from tray. Pour this flavoured liquid into the pot.

Skim the fat that rises to the top. Cook on simmer (6-8 hours), topping up with water to maintain the same level every hour or so.

Remove stock from heat and, whilst holding back bones and vegetables with a kitchen spider, pour off liquid-through a strainer into a large bucket or divided between two or three smaller tubs.

Strain again through a fine strainer or strainer lined with muslin cloth, or clean new chux. Cool and divide between plastic storage containers. Refrigerate (3-4 days) or freeze (up to 3 months) until needed.

To make red wine jus Take stock from fridge and remove any solidified fat from surface. Transfer to a large pot , bring to a rapid boil and reduce by about ½. This will take some time. Meanwhile make the red wine caramel.

Red wine caramel In a large non-reactive pan, add olive oil and onions. Cook (8-10 minutes) until well caramelised. Add brown sugar, cook (another 8-10 minutes) until jammy. Add red wine, deglaze pan and reduce by half. Add onions to boiling and reducing stock. Reduce by half again.

To finish the red wine jus Strain onions from heavily reduced stock, then fine strain stock through cloth into a smaller saucepan.

Reduce this enriched stock until rich, thick and syrupy. Set aside until needed. Store in fridge or freezer and reheat to use. Keep an eye on sauce as it reduces.