Everyone should make their own stock, it's cheap, nutritious (which cubes/powders aren't) and satisfying to do. Armed with a set of basic stocks a whole range of satisfying soups and sauces opens up before you. Plus, having your own well-flavoured stock makes it easy to economise on using wine and other expensive ingredients to add flavour to a whole range of dishes.
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.
EquipmentYou 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, halved
2.25kg beef bones
225g beef trimmings (or shin is cheap and good)
225g carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped
1 leek chopped
3 or 4 tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
sprig of thyme
salt
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, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 leeks, chopped
1 clove garlic
bay leaf
sprig of thyme
black peppercorns
1.75kg chicken wings, or carcasses, chopped
butter
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, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
peppercorns
150ml dry white wine
bouquet garni
1 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. Discuss this article
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