Brown lamb or pork stock

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Put the oil in a roasting pan and heat in the oven. Roughly chop the bones into small, even-sized pieces. Add them to the roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them sticking and burning.
2. Once the bones are a lovely golden brown, add the vegetables and garlic and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes, until everything is a deep golden brown.
3. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and tip the contents into a colander to drain. Return the contents to the roasting pan over a medium heat and deglaze with the white wine.
4. Tip everything into a stockpot or large saucepan then pour on the cold stock. Bring to the boil slowly. Use a ladle to skim away the scum and impurities as they rise to the surface. When the stock boils, reduce the heat, add the herbs and simmer gently, uncovered, for 2 hours, skimming frequently.
5. Leave to cool slightly then strain through a fine sieve into a pitcher or bowl. Allow to cool, then skim again and refrigerate overnight. When the stock is cold most of the fat will have solidified into a layer on the surface of the stock. This can be easily scraped away.
6. If not using immediately, divide into 500 ml batches and freeze. If using from frozen, leave to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or defrost quickly in the microwave. This minimises the risk of harmful bacteria forming.
7. The stock will keep in sealed containers in the fridge for 3 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.