Vegetable stock - Chicken stock - Meat stock and fish stock
The principle of stocks is to extract the flavours from bones or vegetables, on low heat during a long period of time. Our previous generations used to make a lot of stocks, to recycle bones and old vegetables for economic reasons
It's also a good way to reuse bones and vegetables instead of throwing them away!
There are several types of stocks: (recipes below)
Vegetables only
Chicken with vegetables
Meat, their bones and vegetables
Fish, their bones and vegetables
Ingredients I usually use for my vegetable stock
Tomatoes peels
Leek old leaves or other cuts
Onion skins
Zucchini peels
Mushrooms peels and feet
Half of celery branch, or celery cuts from previous dishes
Carrots peels
Shallots peels, skin when available.
Green beans ends or old ones
Parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage
I don't use
Cabbage leaves, asparagus and garlic because it can be strong in parfum and it may not suit some dishes,
Any vegetable with strong parfum or strong colour like beetroots which can colour the stock.
Method :
I save all my peelings from the vegetable I use when I cook other dishes and freeze them in a large plastic bag, as soon as I have enough peelings I make my stock.
Make sure they are clean and free of any dirt.
Place the peelings and cut old vegetables in a large saucepan then cover them with 3 litres of cold water.
You can add a few herbs such as thyme, bay leaves, parsley to flavour the stock.
Bring the water to the boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the vegetables in the water for about 60 minutes minimum (sometime I leave it to simmer 2 hours), until the stock is well flavoured.
Once the peelings stock is ready, use a sieve to remove the peelings and herbs and then pour the stock through a strainer over a big bowl.
Let the stock cool down and store in the fridge if you are going to use it the same day or the day after, otherwise because I cook 3 or 4 litres of stock at the time, I freeze my stock in small quantity (1/2 litre or 1 litre) for later uses.
Ingredients I usually use for my chicken stock
First all my peels and old vegetables, if not available :
2 carrots cut
1 onion roughly cut
1 shallot
1 small leek
half celery branch
mushroom (30g)
Parsley, thyme, 1 tsp of whole black pepper
3 litres water
1 chicken carcass (uncooked) but you can use a whole uncooked chicken
Method
Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer over medium heat for 1 hour 30 minutes or 2 hours, skimming occasionally.
Remove the chicken from the stock. Set aside the meat and discard the bones if you have used a whole chicken, vegetables and herbs. Strain the stock through a sieve. Allow to cool, then place the stock in the refrigerator to allow the fat to rise to the surface. Skim the fat from the cooled stock before using or freezing it.
Ingredients I usually use for my meat stock
2 kg of beef bones (or pork or veal)
Plenty of peels or few old vegetable, otherwise :
2 carrots cut in circles
1 branch of celery cut in circles
2 small onions quartered
2 garlic clove
1 tsp of black whole pepper
2 litres of cold water
Method : same as the chicken stock
Ingredients I usually use for my brown beef stock
Brown beef stock is mainly used to provide a rich and full-bodied aromatic base for sauces, stews and slow-cooked dishes, adding depth and flavour. It is used to moisten dishes and to create complex sauces such as demi-glace or Spanish sauce, as well as being used in soups and braised dishes.
3 kg (6 lb) beef bones
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
2 onions, cut into quarters
30 ml (2 tablespoons) tomato paste
60 ml (1/4 cup) red wine
3 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
Parsley stems
5 ml (1 teaspoon) peppercorns
1 clove
3 litres (12 cups) water
Method:
Place the rack in the centre of the oven. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Place the bones, carrots, celery and onions on a baking tray. Bake for about 1 hour, stirring frequently, until the bones are golden brown. Remove the tray from the oven. Brush the bones with tomato paste. Continue baking for about 15 minutes.
Place the bones and vegetables in a saucepan. Pour the wine onto the baking tray and scrape the bottom well to recover all the caramelised juices. Pour the wine into the saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 4 hours.
Strain and use within three days or freeze.
Ingredients I usually use for my fish stock
1 kg (2.2 lb) fish trimmings (heads, bones)
95 g (1 cup) finely chopped leek greens
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, halved
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
30 ml (2 tbsp) butter
1.5 litres (6 cups) water
30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
Method:
Rinse the fish trimmings under cold water. Drain.
In a saucepan over medium heat, soften the leek, onion, celery and garlic with the fish trimmings, bay leaf and thyme in the butter for 5 minutes. Season generously with salt. Pour in the water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, skimming a few times during cooking.
Line the inside of a sieve with two layers of cheesecloth. Strain the broth. The stock is ready to use, refrigerate or freeze. Compost the trimmings and herbs.
If you refrigerate the stock, remove the layer of fat that will have formed on top with a spoon before using or freezing it.
Do not use the layer of impurities that has formed at the bottom, as this will make the stock cloudy.
It's also a good way to reuse bones and vegetables instead of throwing them away!
There are several types of stocks: (recipes below)
Vegetables only
Chicken with vegetables
Meat, their bones and vegetables
Fish, their bones and vegetables
Ingredients I usually use for my vegetable stock
Tomatoes peels
Leek old leaves or other cuts
Onion skins
Zucchini peels
Mushrooms peels and feet
Half of celery branch, or celery cuts from previous dishes
Carrots peels
Shallots peels, skin when available.
Green beans ends or old ones
Parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage
I don't use
Cabbage leaves, asparagus and garlic because it can be strong in parfum and it may not suit some dishes,
Any vegetable with strong parfum or strong colour like beetroots which can colour the stock.
Method :
I save all my peelings from the vegetable I use when I cook other dishes and freeze them in a large plastic bag, as soon as I have enough peelings I make my stock.
Make sure they are clean and free of any dirt.
Place the peelings and cut old vegetables in a large saucepan then cover them with 3 litres of cold water.
You can add a few herbs such as thyme, bay leaves, parsley to flavour the stock.
Bring the water to the boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the vegetables in the water for about 60 minutes minimum (sometime I leave it to simmer 2 hours), until the stock is well flavoured.
Once the peelings stock is ready, use a sieve to remove the peelings and herbs and then pour the stock through a strainer over a big bowl.
Let the stock cool down and store in the fridge if you are going to use it the same day or the day after, otherwise because I cook 3 or 4 litres of stock at the time, I freeze my stock in small quantity (1/2 litre or 1 litre) for later uses.
Ingredients I usually use for my chicken stock
First all my peels and old vegetables, if not available :
2 carrots cut
1 onion roughly cut
1 shallot
1 small leek
half celery branch
mushroom (30g)
Parsley, thyme, 1 tsp of whole black pepper
3 litres water
1 chicken carcass (uncooked) but you can use a whole uncooked chicken
Method
Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer over medium heat for 1 hour 30 minutes or 2 hours, skimming occasionally.
Remove the chicken from the stock. Set aside the meat and discard the bones if you have used a whole chicken, vegetables and herbs. Strain the stock through a sieve. Allow to cool, then place the stock in the refrigerator to allow the fat to rise to the surface. Skim the fat from the cooled stock before using or freezing it.
Ingredients I usually use for my meat stock
2 kg of beef bones (or pork or veal)
Plenty of peels or few old vegetable, otherwise :
2 carrots cut in circles
1 branch of celery cut in circles
2 small onions quartered
2 garlic clove
1 tsp of black whole pepper
2 litres of cold water
Method : same as the chicken stock
Ingredients I usually use for my brown beef stock
Brown beef stock is mainly used to provide a rich and full-bodied aromatic base for sauces, stews and slow-cooked dishes, adding depth and flavour. It is used to moisten dishes and to create complex sauces such as demi-glace or Spanish sauce, as well as being used in soups and braised dishes.
3 kg (6 lb) beef bones
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into chunks
2 onions, cut into quarters
30 ml (2 tablespoons) tomato paste
60 ml (1/4 cup) red wine
3 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
Parsley stems
5 ml (1 teaspoon) peppercorns
1 clove
3 litres (12 cups) water
Method:
Place the rack in the centre of the oven. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Place the bones, carrots, celery and onions on a baking tray. Bake for about 1 hour, stirring frequently, until the bones are golden brown. Remove the tray from the oven. Brush the bones with tomato paste. Continue baking for about 15 minutes.
Place the bones and vegetables in a saucepan. Pour the wine onto the baking tray and scrape the bottom well to recover all the caramelised juices. Pour the wine into the saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 4 hours.
Strain and use within three days or freeze.
Ingredients I usually use for my fish stock
1 kg (2.2 lb) fish trimmings (heads, bones)
95 g (1 cup) finely chopped leek greens
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, halved
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
30 ml (2 tbsp) butter
1.5 litres (6 cups) water
30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
Method:
Rinse the fish trimmings under cold water. Drain.
In a saucepan over medium heat, soften the leek, onion, celery and garlic with the fish trimmings, bay leaf and thyme in the butter for 5 minutes. Season generously with salt. Pour in the water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, skimming a few times during cooking.
Line the inside of a sieve with two layers of cheesecloth. Strain the broth. The stock is ready to use, refrigerate or freeze. Compost the trimmings and herbs.
If you refrigerate the stock, remove the layer of fat that will have formed on top with a spoon before using or freezing it.
Do not use the layer of impurities that has formed at the bottom, as this will make the stock cloudy.