KITCHEN PRACTICE 2 — A Small Batch of Brown Stock, Compared
==================================================
Chapter: French Cookery 3 — Stocks (Fond)

TASK
----
Make a small batch of brown stock, roasting bones and mirepoix
together and deglazing the pan before simmering. Compare its colour
and aroma directly against Kitchen Practice 1's white stock.

WHAT TO DO
----------
1. Spread raw bones (beef or veal bones work well for a real brown
   stock) in a single layer on a roasting tray and roast in a hot
   oven until deeply, evenly browned — turning once partway through.
2. Add a rough-cut mirepoix to the same tray partway through
   roasting, so it browns alongside the bones without burning before
   the bones themselves are ready.
3. Once well-browned, transfer the bones and mirepoix to a pot.
   Pour a small amount of water or leftover stock into the still-hot
   roasting tray and scrape up every browned bit stuck to the bottom
   — this deglazing liquid goes into the pot too.
4. Cover everything with fresh cold water, add a bouquet garni, and
   simmer gently for at least 2 hours, skimming as needed — the same
   bare-simmer rule as the white stock.
5. Strain, cool, and set a small amount of both stocks side by side
   for comparison — this brown batch against Kitchen Practice 1's
   white stock.

WHAT TO EXPECT
--------------
- The bones and mirepoix should come out of the oven a real, deep
  brown colour — not just lightly tanned.
- The finished brown stock should look noticeably darker and richer
  than the white stock, and smell more roasted and savoury rather
  than mild and clean.
- If the roasting tray's own browned bits were successfully lifted
  during deglazing, you should be able to taste that concentrated
  flavour clearly in the finished stock — a thin, weak-tasting brown
  stock is often a sign the deglazing step was skipped or rushed.

WHY THIS WORKS AS AN ANSWER
----------------------------
Comparing the two stocks side by side makes the chapter's own
central point directly visible rather than just described — the
same basic method (bones, mirepoix, bouquet garni, a long gentle
simmer) produces two genuinely different results purely because one
set of bones saw direct high heat first and the other didn't. That
single fork in the road is the entire reason a kitchen keeps both
stocks around rather than using one for everything.