Stock-making, an introduction.

This article is going to cover beef, chicken and fish stocks. They are the most useful, and the techniques can be applied to any others you might like to make. I'm not covering vegetable stock, because I can't see the point, if you're vegetarian you should already know how to make it and if you're omnivorous and only need it occasionally then go and buy a pot of Marigold Swiss Vegetable Bouillon.

Equipment

You really don't need any special kit, but if you have one, those italian pasta pans with a drainer insert are good. Oh, and while you're at it go and buy some decent knives and a cleaver. You don't need them for stock, but they're always handy.

Beef Stock

3 onions, halved2.25kg beef bones225g beef trimmings (or shin is cheap and good)225g carrots, coarsely chopped3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped1 leek chopped3 or 4 tomatoes, chopped1 clove garlic1 bay leafsprig of thymesalt

Preheat oven to 150C, lay the onion halves in a roasting tin with a splash of water, and caramelize slowly for an hour or more.Stick the onions into the stockpot. Raise the oven temperature to 200C and roast the bones and meat for about 30 minutes, until well coloured. Chuck into the pot, along with everything else. Add about 6 litres of cold water. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 6 to 8 hours, lifting off any scum with a slotted spoon whenever you feel the urge. Strain the stock. That's it. Other things you may like to do are: Allow the stock to cool, and lift off any excess fat.Reduce by 50% before freezing to save space.Reduce right down until syrupy (demi-glace in classical cookery) and freeze as ice-cubes.

Chicken Stock

2 onions, chopped2 celery sticks, chopped2 leeks, chopped1 clove garlicbay leafsprig of thymeblack peppercorns1.75kg chicken wings, or carcasses, choppedbutter

Soften the vegetables in the butter, add everything else followed by about six pints of cold water. Bring to the boil, and simmer for a couple of hours. Skim from time to time. Strain. Again, this can be further reduced for freezing.

Basic Fish Stock

1kg fish trimmings (heads, bones, crustacean shells etc.)1 onion, chopped1 carrot, chopped1 stalk celery, choppedpeppercorns150ml dry white winebouquet garni1 litre cold water

Put everything in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for thirty minutes. Strain through muslin, or a very fine sieve. Don't simmer for more than half-an-hour, or it will taste gluey.After straining you can reduce it down further to make a fumet, which can be frozen.

These recipes all use raw ingredients, but obviously stock can be made using the leftovers from roast chicken etc. Lamb bones make surprisingly good stock, and duck stock can be delicious. One thing to avoid is using the stock-pot as a dumping ground for everything in the kitchen. If anyone hates these recipes, or has ones of their own which they feel are vastly superior, please feel free to post them.

Sean

twoscoops

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1924
Location: Warwickshire

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 1:36 pm Post subject: Re: Basic Stock Making

jema wrote:

Oh, and while you're at it go and buy some decent knives and a cleaver. You don't need them for stock, but they're always handy

Cable ties are always handy too. Good post, I'm collecing bones as we speak.

jema
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
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Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 1:37 pm Post subject:
Just a remnder, this is Sean's article. I have just put it here with a link from the actual thing. jema

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 1:42 pm Post subject:
One thing to remember is that if you keep a stock pot on the stove for several days, to boil it up EVERY day to keep it sweet - it soon goes off, and this could make you quite ill, not to mention the smell.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 1:54 pm Post subject:
So am I the only person here who routinely makes stock in a pressure cooker?

sean
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Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 1:59 pm Post subject:
I used to, but I don't have one any more, and I couldn't remember the alterations needed or pressures used.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 2:01 pm Post subject:
I made some chicken stock the other week for my xmas gravy

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 2:09 pm Post subject:
Never used a pressure cooker, wouldn't the heat force too much fat out of the bones etc. I guess you end up with a cloudy stock? Good article BTW sean, the only thing I would say is that I always use muslin for a final strain.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 2:15 pm Post subject:
Do they make pork stock?

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 2:19 pm Post subject:
I've made ham stock. Have a large bag of trimmings for my lamb stock as well.

sean
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Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 2:31 pm Post subject:
Pork stock can be good too. You have watch for it being too fatty. Actually, pork and rabbit makes a good combination.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 2:40 pm Post subject:
That's why I use muslin, If the stock cools then the fat jellifies (is that a real word) somewhat and can be caught in the cloth.

sean
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 2:41 pm Post subject:
I usually cool mine, stick the pot in the fridge and lift the fat off as a solid disc.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 2:41 pm Post subject:
I wouldn't mix muslims and pork if I were you

twoscoops

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1924
Location: Warwickshire

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 04 2:55 pm Post subject:
And if you don't have time to do that, or don't have a fat separator, you can put it in a fairly narrow glass, which makes it easier to pour off.

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