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Stocks are extremely important when making sauces and soups. It is basically a liquid that is prepared from simmering bones and/or meat along with vegetables, herbs and seasoning. There are many different types of stocks and they include beef, veal, chicken, vegetable and fish.
Nearly all recipe books will tell you start preparing stock with bones. However, you can use meat and bones to get a much deeper flavor. If you want to make beef stock, try using cubed chuck steak. Never use tender cuts like loin or rib to make beef stock. The flavor will not be so great. When making chicken stock, use the entire chicken.
The standard measurement for stock with bones and/or meat is six quarts of water to eight pounds of meat and/or bones.
Recipes also advice you to roast the bones and vegetables before putting them in water. This helps to get the flavor out and adds a beautiful color to the stock. This method should be used when making brown sauce.
If you are planning on roasting the bones, use some olive oil and roast the bones for half an hour at 375 degrees. It is only after that should you add the vegetables and continue roasting until the vegetables turn brown. Place the bones and vegetables in your stockpot and use some wine to deglaze the roasting pan and add that to the stockpot.
The common vegetables used for meat-based stock are carrots, celery and onions. For six quarts of water, use eight ounces of onions, four ounces of carrots and four ounces of celery. You can also add a few cloves of garlic to enhance the flavor. For vegetable stocks use vegetables you use for meat stock and add turnips, leeks, cabbage and tomatoes.
Herbs are usually added one and half hour before the stock is done. The herbs traditionally used in stocks are parsley, thyme and couple of bay leaves. However, you can also add celery leaves and freshly ground pepper. Remember, you should never add salt in stock as the natural salts present in the meats and vegetables are more than enough. But if required, you can add salt in the finished product -- soup or sauce.
The stock should be slowly brought to a boil and then it should simmer so that it reduces. During the entire cooking process, it stockpot should be left uncovered. Usually fish stock is simmered for 30 to 40 minutes, vegetable stock for 45 to 60 minutes, chicken stock for 4 to 5 hours and beef stock for 6 to 8 hours.
While boiling and simmering a lot of impurities will rise to the top and it is important to skim the stock frequently. After the stock is done, run it through a fine sieve. If you are not going to use the stock immediately, set the stockpot in ice cold water. This reduces the risk of bacterial growth and cools the stock fast so that you can refrigerate it. Once the stock is refrigerated, the fast will congeal on the surface and you can easily remove it. You can also freeze some stock for future use by storing them in plastic containers and keeping them in the freezer.
Nearly all recipe books will tell you start preparing stock with bones. However, you can use meat and bones to get a much deeper flavor. If you want to make beef stock, try using cubed chuck steak. Never use tender cuts like loin or rib to make beef stock. The flavor will not be so great. When making chicken stock, use the entire chicken.
The standard measurement for stock with bones and/or meat is six quarts of water to eight pounds of meat and/or bones.
Recipes also advice you to roast the bones and vegetables before putting them in water. This helps to get the flavor out and adds a beautiful color to the stock. This method should be used when making brown sauce.
If you are planning on roasting the bones, use some olive oil and roast the bones for half an hour at 375 degrees. It is only after that should you add the vegetables and continue roasting until the vegetables turn brown. Place the bones and vegetables in your stockpot and use some wine to deglaze the roasting pan and add that to the stockpot.
The common vegetables used for meat-based stock are carrots, celery and onions. For six quarts of water, use eight ounces of onions, four ounces of carrots and four ounces of celery. You can also add a few cloves of garlic to enhance the flavor. For vegetable stocks use vegetables you use for meat stock and add turnips, leeks, cabbage and tomatoes.
Herbs are usually added one and half hour before the stock is done. The herbs traditionally used in stocks are parsley, thyme and couple of bay leaves. However, you can also add celery leaves and freshly ground pepper. Remember, you should never add salt in stock as the natural salts present in the meats and vegetables are more than enough. But if required, you can add salt in the finished product -- soup or sauce.
The stock should be slowly brought to a boil and then it should simmer so that it reduces. During the entire cooking process, it stockpot should be left uncovered. Usually fish stock is simmered for 30 to 40 minutes, vegetable stock for 45 to 60 minutes, chicken stock for 4 to 5 hours and beef stock for 6 to 8 hours.
While boiling and simmering a lot of impurities will rise to the top and it is important to skim the stock frequently. After the stock is done, run it through a fine sieve. If you are not going to use the stock immediately, set the stockpot in ice cold water. This reduces the risk of bacterial growth and cools the stock fast so that you can refrigerate it. Once the stock is refrigerated, the fast will congeal on the surface and you can easily remove it. You can also freeze some stock for future use by storing them in plastic containers and keeping them in the freezer.
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