This time of deep winter often finds many of us tinkering away with cozy indoor projects that help while away the chilly hours. For those who are culinary-minded, this is a perfect time to cook up some stocks for future projects. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, making stock is perhaps something of a lost art that ought to be revived.
Stocks are clear liquids derived from simmering meat, bones and vegetables in water (or wine), often with aromatic herbs and spices. A stock is identical to a bouillon, and very similar to a broth. Whereas a broth may be salted, a stock is not, although it may be cooked longer, giving it a more intense flavor.
The point is to produce a savory cooking medium that is not water; as Jerry famously says, "Water is the enemy of flavor."
I can remember decades ago, back when I was first learning to cook, my more masterful buddies would spend a quiet weekend making stock. I recall a lot of roasting of bones, chopping of vegetables, and brandishing special "stock pots" that were reserved for what was something of a ritual.
They generally produced a gallon or so of good quality stock, using some of it for Sunday night's feast. The remainder was frozen in ice cube trays, with the frozen cubes stored in bags for convenient later use.
One further step you can take is to clarify your stock. This can be done by simply draining it through a sieve lined with cheesecloth (which will give you a pretty clear liquid) or taking it a step further and stirring in beaten egg whites which will capture impurities. Finish by straining out the egg whites.
One of the classic stocks is Brown Veal Stock, which calls for 10 pounds of veal marrow bones. (You should get on good terms with a local butcher to pull this off.)
Brown Veal Stock
Ingredients
10 lbs of veal marrow bones
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns
In an oven set at 350 degrees, roast the veal bones and the vegetables until golden brown. Place the browned veal bones and vegetables in a stock pot and cover with cold water. Add the bay leaves and pepper corns and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the stock to a simmer and cook for 8 hours, or longer. Strain the stock through a china cap and a chinoise and refrigerate. Before using the stock, skim the fat off the top.
Veal stock is a brown stock, as distinguished from a Blonde Stock which uses unroasted bones. Here is a recipe for a Chicken Stock.
Blonde Chicken Stock
Ingredients
10 lbs of chicken bones or carcass
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns
Place the chicken bones and vegetables in a stock pot and cover with cold water.
Add the bay leaves and pepper corns and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the stock to a simmer and cook for 8 hours, or longer.
Strain the stock through a china cap and a chinoise and refrigerate.
Before using the stock, skim the fat off of the top.
Mirepoix-onions, carrots and celery in a 2:1:1 ratio.
