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Basic Cooking Stocks
A fresh, rich stock will add depth and flavor
to your recipe. While a good stock takes simmering time it really does not require a lot
of your work time. Stocks come in various forms the most common being, vegetable,
chicken, meat (beef, veal, poultry) and fish.
Terms
Stock - In the most
basic terms, stock is the strained liquid that is the result of cooking vegetables, meat
or fish and other seasoning ingredients in water. Most soups begin with a stock of some
kind, and many sauces are based on a reduction.
Brown Stock -A brown stock is made by browning bones, vegetables and
other ingredients before they're cooked in the liquid.
Reduction -Culinarily, to boil a liquid (usually stock, wine or a sauce
mixture) rapidly until the volume is reduced by evaporation, thereby thickening the
consistency and intensifying the flavor. Such a mixture is sometimes referred to as a reduction
© Copyright Barron's Educational
Services, Inc. 1995
based on THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst
Economy
Many stocks use excess vegetable trimmings and meat scraps that might otherwise end up in
the compost pile or garbage. Good quality purchased stocks are expensive in comparison and
the less quality stocks can't compare to the fresh. Saving trimmings for stock is good for
your household budget and for the environment too.
Condensed Chicken Stock
From: The Crocodile's Cookbook
"Bounty of the Americas".
The quality and outcome of recipes requiring stock will be greatly impacted by stock you
use. This recipe with generous proportions can be stored for several months in the
freezer.
This recipe compared to
regular (or purchased, canned) stock:
One heaping tablespoon = 1 cup of regular stock
I N
G R E D I E N T S
5 pounds chicken bones and trimmings (ask for
this from your butcher)
1/2 pound carrots
1/2 stalk celery
2 onions
2 heads garlic (slice whole heads in half, don't peel)
Bouquet Garni (optional but adds a nice
flavor)
Wrap in cheesecloth and secure with kitchen string:
1/2 bunch of flat Italian parsley
1 pinch of thyme
10 peppercorns
I
N S T R U C T I O N S
Put all of the ingredients (no need to
chop anything) in a large stock pot, vegetables on the bottom, bones on top, and cover
with cold water. Put the pot on low heat, cover with a lid, and simmer (don't now
allow to boil which will produce a cloudy stock) for 8 hours. This will result in about 3
gallons of stock. Strain the stock and refrigerate the liquid unit the grease
hardens on top. Remove the grease cap and put the stock (it should be a soft
gelatin) back on the stove in a clean pot. Bring it to a boil using high heat (it is
ok if the stock boils because the fat has been removed). When the stock boils, remove the
lid, reduce the heat by half, and allow the liquid to reduce to one quart. (This will
produce a lot of moisture in the air so make sure to use your cooking vent or open a
window). When the stock is reduced to one quart, remove it from the stove.
Because the chicken stock has been so reduce, it will become very thick and gelatinous
when cooled. Pour it into cup-sized freezer containers and freeze. Now you
will have stock ready whenever you need it. The frozen stock will keep for months.
Chicken stock can be used in any recipe for chicken, beef, or pork that
requires stock.
Fresh Vegetable Stock
From Trattoria by Mary Beth Clark
Makes: 5 cups
i n g r e d i e n t s
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
3/5 cup sliced leeks
1 small clove garlic
1 small red Spanish onion (cut in half)
3/4 pounds fresh white mushrooms, cut in half
8 cups cold water
1 small plum (Roma style) tomato
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon fresh marjoram leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried
4 fresh flat leaf parsley sprigs
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper (pepper looses it's flavor very quickly, fresh ground
is best)
Warm the olive oil over low heat in a saucepan large enough to hold all the ingredients.
Add the carrot, celery and leeks and sauté unit the leeks are slightly translucent
about 3 -4 minutes.
Add the garlic, onion and mushrooms and sauté until the onion is slight translucent about
2 minutes.
Pour in the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Us a large spoon and skim off
any scum that forms on the surface if necessary. Add the tomato, thyme, marjoram and
parsley. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered until the flavors are blend
about 1 hour.
Strain the sock through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or muslin into a clean
contain. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
Stock can be used immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze up to one
month.
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Other Recipes
Browse recipes all recipes that use fresh stocks
or select below:
Fish Stock
Chicken Stock
Meat Stock
Sauce Robert
GourmetSleuth- Recipe for the classic French Sauce Robert (Brown Mustard Sauce) based on a
basic brown sauce. Includes information on preparing a roux and clarified butter. |
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Purchase Stocks
Club Sauce - Online
resource for all types of stocks, sauces, demi glaze (demi-glace) barbecue, roasting,
grilling, condiments, jams, Asian stir fry, seasonings, rubs, for the home chef as well as
for the professional.
Manischewitz
- One of the best brands of canned chicken broth. Available in the Jewish section of most
major grocery stores.
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Store Stocks
Refrigerate - Refer to the
specific stock but in general keep fresh stock refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Freeze - Place stock in containers that suit the size of your average
need. Usually 1 cup is a good size. Use proper freezer quality containers. For best
quality use within one month.Fish Stock
Makes 4 cups
4 pounds fresh fish bones, heads, trimmings of white fish such as halibut, whiting,
flounder or fresh or cooked shellfish shells, shrimp heads, tails, etc.
2 thinly sliced onions
12 - 16 parsley stems (don't use the leaves as they will cloud the broth)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups dry white wine
Cold water to cover the ingredients
Combine all ingredients in a 6 - 8 quart stock pot. Bring to a simmer, skim, then simmer
uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, taste and adjust seasonings as
needed.
Store refrigerated for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.
Emergency
Fish Stock
This is old Julia Child recipe for
fish stock you need in a hurry.
Makes: 2 cups
1 1/2 cups bottled clam juice
1 cup water
1 cup dry white wine
1 thinly sliced onion
6 parsley stems
1/4 cup mushrooms (optional)
Place all ingredients in a 6-cup saucepan and simmer for about 30 minutes. The liquid
should reduce to about 2 cups. Strain the stock and taste, add seasoning as
necessary. This stock tends to be salty from the clam juice.
Meat Stock
Makes 2 -3 quarts
Important:
Never all the liquid to boil or the stock will get cloudy.
Don't cover the kettle airtight or the stock will sour
3 quarts of meat and bones chopped into 2 - 3 inch pieces. Combine any or all of these -
raw or cooked, veal, beef, meat pieces, and or poultry carcasses, scraps and giblets.
2 teaspoons salt
2 medium scraped carrots
2 medium celery stalks
1 bouquet garni (tie in washed cheesecloth)
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
6 parsley sprigs
2 unpeeled garlic cloves and
2 whole cloves
2 cleaned medium leeks
Place the meat and bones in an 8 - 10 quart stock pot. Add cold water to cover them by
2". Set over medium heat. As the liquid starts to simmer, start removing the scum as
it forms. Continue to skim for about 5 minutes then the production will stop.
Add the rest of the vegetables and the bouquet garni and add more water if the ingredients
are not covered by at least one inch. When the stock starts to simmer, skim as needed.
Partially cover leaving at least at 1" space to allow steam to escape.
The stock should just barely simmer for about 4 - 5 hours. Skim off fat an scum as
it accumulates. Add boiling water as needed should the liquid reduce below the level of
the ingredients.
Degrease - Sit the stock uncovered in the refrigerator until the fat hardens then scrape
it off.
Taste - Adjust seasoning as needed.
Store refrigerated for 3 days or to prolong, resimmer every 2 days.
Store frozen for one month.
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