One of the basic skills necessary for cooking broths and stocks is being able to make a mirepoix. A mirepoix is very simple. It is sauteéd onions, carrots, and celery. Add some salt, pepper, and water, and you have a basic vegetable stock. Add toasted beef bones or chicken wing tips or fish bones, and you get beef stock, chicken stock, or fish stock, respectively. I used to hate celery as a kid, but I find that the celery really makes the whole deal. I add extra celery. I use white onions in my mirepoix, and mature carrots rather than baby (baby carrots have too much sugar, I think.)

From: The Thorough Good Cook

Sauces: 40. Mirepoix

Cut two pounds of fillet of veal, one pound of fat bacon, one pound of lean ham, four carrots, four onions, all into dice; pass off the whole with one pound of fresh butter, some whole parsley, a handful of mushrooms, two shallots, the least particle of garlic, a bay-leaf, a little thyme and basil, two cloves, a blade of mace, and a little pepper. The whole drawn over a slow fire, add the flesh of two lemons sliced thin (removing the pips), three ladlefuls of consommé, and half a pint of good white wine; simmer the mirepoix for two hours, and squeeze it through a tammy. Use this for entrees directed to be prepared "a la mirepoix."
Notes from the noder: Nodes from The Through Good Cook are not meant to be in contradiction to any nodes presently existing. They are, however, a fine representation of the cuisine of 1896 Europe and North America. Indeed, in this day and age, a mirepoix is a mere mixture of equal parts diced carrot, celery and onion. Augustus Sala informs us that this was not always the case, exemplified by the sauce above.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.