Lamb Stock

Name: Lamb Stock
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 60ml extra virgin olive oil; 2 brown onions, cut into thick slivers; Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1kg lamb bones (ideally including 1 lamb shank); Plain flour, for dusting; 1½ litres water, or more to cover; 2 fresh bay leaves, bruised; ½ teaspoon black peppercorns; 1 stick cinnamon (broken), 3 allspice berries, 3 bruised green cardamom pods and/or 3 cloves (optional)

While we often talk about making chicken (see video below), veal, fish and vegetable stocks, lamb stock is less common. Which is a shame as lamb stock is a flavour bomb – a secret ingredient for making the best gravies, sauces and soups. And it’s so easy to make. I often add a Middle Eastern twist to my lamb stock with some cinnamon, allspice, cardamom and cloves, but you can skip any or all of them if you prefer a more classic flavour profile. You can boil lamb stock to reduce it down to a stronger-flavoured concentrate, so that just a spoon or two adds zing to a sauce to gravy; or portion it into suitable sizes and freeze to use as a base for soups and casseroles. If you include a lamb shank in the bones used to make your lamb stock, you’ll have delicious tender meat to add to a lamb & bean soup.

Makes about 1 litre

Ingredients

60ml extra virgin olive oil
2 brown onions, cut into thick slivers
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1kg lamb bones (ideally including 1 lamb shank)
Plain flour, for dusting
1½ litres water, or more to cover
2 fresh bay leaves, bruised
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 stick cinnamon (broken), 3 allspice berries, 3 bruised green cardamom pods and/or 3 cloves (optional)

Method

Heat a saucepan large enough to hold the bones in a single layer over medium heat.
Add oil, onion and a good pinch of salt. Stir well, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Uncover, increase heat to medium–high and cook for a further 5 minutes or so, until just starting to colour.
Meanwhile, place flour in a plastic bag with a good pinch of salt and grind of pepper.
Add lamb bones a few at a time and shake to coat well, shaking off the excess flour.
Push onion to the side of the pan, increase heat to high, add bones and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, until coloured.
Add water, topping it up with a little extra if needed to completely cover the bones.
Add 1½ tablespoons salt, bay and pepper and, if using, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom and/or cloves.
Bring to the boil. Skim to remove any froth that’s floated to the surface, reduce heat so that it’s just gently bubbling, cover and simmer for 1 hour (or about 1½ if using shank, until meat is tender).
Strain cooking liquid, discarding solids (except for lamb shank and any bones with meat on them), and set aside to cool.
Refrigerate until well chilled, then remove and discard the layer of fat that’s settled on the top.