A good stock is the foundation of soups, stews, sauces, and most braising foods. Georges-Auguste Escoffier, the father of twentieth century cuisine, considered the greatest chef of all time, thought of stocks as the most important element of his kitchen. However, in modern home kitchens stocks have taken a secondary role. More home cooks are turning to store bought stocks or broths. We live in a “thirty-minute meals” society and people do not want to be bothered with the long cooking times needed to develop deep complex flavors.
Stock can be defined as a clear, thin liquid flavored by soluble substances extracted from poultry, fish, meat, their bones, and seasonings. The goal of the exercise is to combine the right ingredients in order to produce the desired flavor base. Countless dishes use stocks as a starting point; risotto jumps to mind. How can they be taken for granted in today’s kitchens? Well, I am much more interested in solutions than problems. In this piece I will attempt to show how far one pot of chicken stock can go for the busy home cook. To the food police, I am quite versed on the traditional methods for making stocks, right down to the clarifying rafts. With that said, I am endeavoring to show the home cook a different way of attacking stocks; please save your snide comments. Likewise, if you have an aversion to long cooking times, attention to detail, or process, please stop reading.
Bones are the major ingredients of stocks. The flavor and body developed in stocks come from the bones of beef, lamb, chicken, veal, fish, or game, with the obvious exception of veggie stocks which contain no animal products. When collagen, or connective tissues, break down they form gelatin and this is what gives a stock body. In reality, when a well made stock is chilled it should be solid. Cartilage is the best source of gelatin in bones. For the purposes of this stock I used whole organic chicken legs. Joints of major bones have much cartilage and are treasured for stock making. Stocks are not kitchen bins; use only top-notch quality, organic, wholesome ingredients. I am a firm believer in seasoning every layer of a dish. Properly seasoning your stock from the beginning of the cooking process leaves you with less to worry about down the line.
Article comments
1 - Tanantha @ I Just Love My Apron
Great stock recipe! My mom made her own stock by using a slow cooker that I only used twice in the last 2 years (smile). As you said, living in a 30-minute cooking time is an obstacle from making your own. Store bought stock becomes one the top condiments in my pantry list. I wish I could manage to make my own soon because anything homemade is much better in terms of flavor, nutrition, and sentimental memory.
2 - citronetvanille
Great article Lazaro! Nothing compares to homemade stocks, which are a must in the kitchen, as you said the lack of time can turn people to store bought "broths".Your article is a goldmine of information, an online class on stocks.
3 - denise fletcher
How brilliant that you prepared a beautiful poached chicken salad en route to making stock Escoffier would be proud of. Very efficient and very impressive. Yes, stock making is tedious but you can always make a large quantity and freeze it almost indefinitely for future use. Perhaps even truer is that people don't bother with stock because it's the less "glamourous" and fun side of cooking. I've never seen stock being made on a cooking show! A lack of time is the oft quoted excuse, but all I will say is - where there is a will, there is time found ;)
Brilliant article and a wonderful tutorial on everything one needs to know about stock!
4 - deana@lostpastremembered
Great article on stock. I save bones from chicken dishes and then add them to the pot when I make stock.. it makes me feel ever so virtuous and my St. Bernard loves the meaty remnants from the cooking. I love the tip of further cooking the bones... will try that next time!!!
5 - Chef Dennis
What an informative post! I do remember making stocks, Chicken stock is the only one I still do make. Ah but roasting veal or beef bones until they caramelized then cooking in a big pot for hours upon hours, leaving them flame on so low overnight.....those were the days my friend!
Glad you touched on temperatures too, so many people get food poisoning from mis handling food..and they don't even know it.