Comforting Beef and Barley Soup

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas 6.

Place stock bones, stew meat or beef scraps, carrots and onions in a large, shallow roasting pan, and drizzle some olive oil on top.

Bake for 45 minutes, turning the bones and meat pieces halfway through the cooking, until browned. Transfer the meat and vegetables to a large stock pot.

Deglaze the roasting pan on low heat by pouring a little water in the pan and scraping up all of the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Pour the browned bits and water into the stock pot.

Add the remaining ingredients into the pot, and fill with water so it is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the bones.

Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover the pot and let simmer untouched for 3–4 hours, occasionally skimming the scum that rises to the top.

I let the stock simmer for the afternoon, but it should be left for at least 3 hours. Remove from the heat and take out the vegetables, meat and bones. You can reclaim the stew meat for a soup, and if you are a fan of marrow, now is the time to dig in. Let the mixture cool, then strain the stock into tall containers which take up less room in your refrigerator. Refrigerate and you will see that the fat has risen to the top and created a white layer. You can easily pick it off and discard.

Once cooled, the fat will rise to the top which you can now easily remove.

You can now use the stock which will keep in your refrigerator for a few days. Freeze the rest in plastic containers for future use. I also freeze some in ice cube trays, transferring into a plastic bag. One or two cubes are great for the times when you only need a little stock to add to a dish.

Place all the ingredients into a large stock pot.

Add 4-6 cups of water to cover all the ingredients and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat, cover partially and skim occasionally until the chicken is cooked. This will take an hour.

Take the chicken out and when cooled, take the meat off the bones and cut or shred into pieces. Save for a meal or wonderful chicken noodle soup.

Use a strainer to separate the liquids from solids. I like to press down on the solids to let some of the flavour come through, but it will give you a slightly more cloudy stock.

If you are going to use right away, use a fat separator if you have one to remove the fat, or you can blot the top of the surface with paper towels, add ice cubes or simply skim with a large flat spoon.

Cool immediately in large cooler of ice or a sink full of ice water to below 40 degrees. Place in refrigerator overnight. Remove solidified fat from surface of liquid and store in container with lid in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days or in freezer for up to 3 months.

Wonderful in chicken noodle soup (see link below). I always keep a supply of soup frozen on hand when someone in the family is starting to feel unwell.