The founding principles of previous era’s of cooking remain unchanged, however it is these core principles that have slowly left our culture for technology and convenience. Any decent chef must embrace these core principles if they are to be successful. With this in mind we must start with stock.
There are so many brands of stock on the supermarket shelf, many of them are good, many are not. Unless you have made stock you can't really tell the good from the bad. Personally I would never admit to using a readymade stock.
In my game we prepare the stock once a month and freeze the volumes. This requires good menu planning. It is no different at home. You take out the stock you will use that day in the morning. 1-2 months maximum for stock in the freezer and 1 week maximum for a normal refrigerator.
White Stock – Chicken
1/ chicken carcass and bones
1/ peeled carrot
1/ peeled onion,
12/ cloves studded into onion
2/ sprigs of thyme
1/ sprig of parsley
1/ bay leaf
1/ leek
1/ celery stick
3/ cardamom pods
1/ teaspoon of salt & pepper
This stock is the most versatile and best for dirty rice dishes or risotto’s. Always start with fresh ingredients. In a big pan cover chicken in water and bring to a boil. Skim off as needed. Add the remainder of the ingredients and simmer very slowly for about 2 ½ hours. Strain through muslin cloth and allow to cool over night. The remaining fat will harden and will be easy to remove.
White Stock – Veal
2/ kg shin of veal
1/ sprigs of thyme
1/ sprig of parsley
1/ bay leaf
1/ peeled carrot
1/ peeled onion,
12/ cloves studded into onion
1/ leek
1/ teaspoon of salt & pepper
This stock has a neutral flavour, good for the more delicate sauce recipes. Always start with fresh ingredients. In a big pan cover chicken in water and bring to a boil. Skim off as needed. Add the remainder of the ingredients and simmer very slowly for about 2 ½ hours. Strain through muslin cloth and allow to cool over night. The remaining fat will harden and will be easy to remove.
Brown Stock – Beef
1 kg shin of beef
1/ 500 grams shin of veal
1/ peeled carrot
1/ peeled onion,
12/ cloves studded into onion
2/ sprigs of thyme
1/ sprig of parsley
1/ bay leaf
1/ celery stick
3/ teaspoon of salt
6/ peppercorns
Put everything into a large baking dish, in a hot oven for 20 minutes.
Pour 1 litre of boiling water into the pan and carefully remove the bulky ingredients to the stock pot. Swill around the remainder of water and pour into pot. Cover the mixture with 2 additional litres of boiling water. Bring to a boil and skim off fat. Simmer for aprox 4-6 hours or until the mixture is reduced by half, skimming regularly. Strain , cool and de-fat as you did with the chicken stock.
Fish Stock -
1/ 40 grams butter
2/ kg fish bones, head and trimmings
1/ small minced blanched onion
2/ springs of parsley
1/ small leek
1/ small carrot
12/ peppercorns
1/ 200 ml white wine
My great, great grandfather said that sole and whiting were the only fish suitable for fish stock. This was because of their gelatinous properties. I agree but have used other fish for stock in the past.
Melt the butter in the base of a heavy fry pan, stew on low heat for ten minutes shaking the pan regularly, add whit wine and bring to a boil, then reduce rapidly for aprox 5 minutes. Adding 1 ½ litres of water bring to the boil again and skim regularly. Reduce the heat to moderate for 20 minutes, no more. Don’t over cook the bones, your stock will turn bitter.
Strain and cool, as with the other stocks.
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