This recipe is used to make the Currant Jelly Sauce featured on this website and served with the Roast Saddle of Venison (recipe in Fannie's Last Supper)

The Currant Jelly Sauce that is served with the roast venison is perhaps the most instructive recipe in the book. Why? It is a classic preparation of a classic sauce and I rediscovered the incredible depth of flavor that a good sauce brings to a simple piece of roasted meat. This is the difference between great cooking and home cooking.

VEAL STOCK

Once in your life, you should make a veal stock since it is one of those foundation recipes that remain at the heart of much high-end restaurant cooking. This is why some folks spend $30 for an entree -- the depth of flavor is incomparable and is never going to be found in a can or frozen sauce base. Once you look over this recipe, however, you will realize that it is really not all that hard to make. It just takes some unattended cooking time. (You will need veal stock to make the Currant Jelly Sauce for the venison.)

6 pounds veal knuckles

3 pounds meaty veal shanks or round, cut into 2-inch pieces

8 quarts water

2 pounds medium onions, chopped

1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

8 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 head garlic, halved across equator

1 bottle dry white wine

4 to 5 medium tomatoes, canned or fresh

8 sprigs thyme

1/2 bunch parsley

10 peppercorns

4 bay leaves

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Roast bones and meat on 2 trays, rotating trays halfway through, and stirring occasionally, until well-browned about 2 hours. Transfer to 20-quart stockpot, add water and bring to simmer; skim. Reserve trays for vegetables.

2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, toss onions, carrots and celery with tomato paste to coat, and place on used trays and roast until richly browned, rotating trays and stirring halfway through, about 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer roasted vegetables to stockpot. Deglaze trays, scraping up brown bits, and add to pot. Add garlic, wine, tomatoes, herbs, peppercorns and bay leaves. Cook at bare simmer, skimming as necessary, 4 to 5 hours. Strai n, defat, and cool immediately.

Yields 4 quarts