8 Basic Stocks

By simplyrecipes.com
Have you ever made your own stock? You should give it a try! Using homemade stock takes any
simple soup from mediocre to exquisite because of its thick, velvety texture and its full bonded flavor.
There is nothing satisfying than using simple, humble ingredients to create top-notch that can be used
in so many different ways.

Stock is made by gently simmering bones, seafood sheels, 0r vegetables until their flavors are
extracted. One key to making excellent stock. Avoid Boiling it. Boiling agitates and breaks up the food
pieces, resulting in a cloudy stock. Instead, keep the stock at a gentle simmer and refrain from stirring
it. Use a laddle or large spoon to skim the surface as needed. Then you have to strain andd cool the
stock. Once cooled, refregirate or freeze for later.Stock can used in so many recipes such as soups,
grains, and sauces.
1. Turkey stock
Save your holiday turkey carcass , neck,wing tips and gizzards andd use them to make a simple stocks
that can be frozen for up to one year
Ingredients:
1 roasted turkey carcass, including any skin and bits of meat clinging to the bones
2 large yellow onions, not peeled and roughly chopped
2 to 4 ribs celery, roughly chopped
2 to 4 medium carrots, roughly chopped
2 to 3 bay leaves
Turkey neck, gizzard, heart, and wing tips (optional)
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, including stems (optional)
1 to 12 sprigs fresh thyme, including the stems (optional)

Method
.
Fill the stockpot:
.
Put the carcass, along with the optional neck, gizzard, heart, and wing tips, into a large
stockpot. You may need to break the carcass apart to get it to fit. If needed, make it in two
smaller pots.
.
Add the onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, parsley, and thyme. Add enough cold water to
cover the bones by an inch.
.
.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer:
.
Set the stockpot over high heat and bring it to a boil. Right when it starts to bubble away,
reduce it to a low simmer. You’re looking for small bubbles around the edges, not a hard
boil. This gentle cooking produces a cleaner-tasting stock that’s clear, not cloudy, and has a
lot of body.
.
.
Simmer the stock:
.
Simmer the stock at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours. No need to keep the lid on.
Remember, the longer and gentler the simmer, the better the stock. I like to get it going as
I clean the kitchen in the evening.
.
 If there’s scum at the top as it simmers, don’t stir it in. Use a skimmer or a slotted spoon to
scoop it out and discard it. These are the impurities in the bones coming up.
.
.
Strain the stock:
.
Set a colander over a large stockpot or large bowl and strain the stock into it. You may
have to do this in batches.
.
Alternatively, you can fish out the bones and vegetables with tongs or a slotted spoon.
Sometimes you only have one stockpot—the one you’re cooking the stock in—which gives
you limited options for receptacles for straining the stock. Get creative if you must.
.
Toss out the cooked vegetables and bones. You can pick off any bits of meat, but they will
be stringy and flavorless, so I skip it.
.
.
Cool, then refrigerate:
.
The stock is now ready to use if you’re ready to cook with it. If so, you may want to spoon
off as much of the fat floating on top.
.
If not, let the stock cool to room temperature. There are ways to speed this up: pour it into
smaller pots, set the pot in an ice bath, or pour it into shallow pans. But don’t place a giant
stockpot of hot stock straight in the fridge because it can spoil.
.
Chill it overnight and then scrape off the fat that solidifies on top.
.
Pour the stock into airtight containers. Refrigerate it up to 7 days or freeze it for up to 1
year.
.

2. To make chicken stock. Use carcass from roast chicken. This method takes 4 hours. The secondd
option is to use raw bone -in chicken before adding water andd aromatics. It takes 4-6 hours. The
third option is to muse combination of cooked and raw chicken .
3. How to make Stock from chicken feet
Making stock with chicken feet is a time-honored traditions past. I can why! Its flavorful, inexpensive,
and makes a whopping two quarts of deeply flavorful stock. Ready in about 6 hours.

Ingredients

1 chicken carcass (from a cooked 2- to 3-pound chicken), or 1
pound bones
 

1 onion, halved or quartered, optional


1 rib celery, roughly chopped, optional


1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped, optional


1 bay leaf


1 to 2 quarts water, enough to cover


Boil chicken feet initially for 5 minutes at a hard boil:

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Put the chicken feet into a large stock pot and cover with boiling
water. Boil for 5 minutes.

Drain, rinse, and cut off and discard the tips of the claws:

Drain the chicken feet completely. Rinse with cold water so that the feet are cool enough to handle.

Using a sharp knife, chop off the tips of the claws and discard. They should cut easily if you cut them
through the joint. If any rough patches of claw pad remain, cut them away with a paring knife.

Simmer the chicken feet for 4 hours:

Place chicken feet in a clean large stockpot. Fill with cold water to cover the feet by an inch. Add
carrots, onions, celery, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer and immediately reduce
the temperature to low. Partially cover, leave about a half inch crack or so, and keep the stock
cooking at a bare simmer, for 4 hours. Occasionally skim any foam that may come to the surface.

Uncover and continue simmering:

Uncover the pot and increase the heat slightly to maintain a low simmer with the pot now uncovered.
Continue to cook for an hour or two. At this point you are reducing the stock so that it is easier to
store.

Strain the stock:

Strain through several layers of cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer (ideally both) into a pot.

Pour into quart-sized jars.

Let cool for an hour or so before storing in the refrigerator. When your stock has cooled, it should firm
up nicely into a gel.

4. How to make Vegetable Stock

Making vegetable stock is very easy to make. No bones or carcasses like carrots, onions and celery.
Add dehydrated mushroom for extra umami. This stock is ready in two hours.

Add the bones and vegetables to the pressure cooker:

Put the chicken bones and vegetables (if using) in your pressure cooker. Add water to almost come
level with the bones, making sure not to fill the cooker more than 2/3 full. Remember, your cooker
can’t come to pressure if it is too full.

5. How to Make Beef Stock

Beef stock is made by using both beef, boat, meat and vegetables. They are roasted first for extra
flavor an then set to gentle simmer for 3 to 6 hours. Add veal bones to increase the amount of gelatin

6. How to make Seafood Stock.

One of the benefits of eating seafood at home is the shells and scraps you'll have left to make
seafood stock. It'll lead to mouth-watering bisques and stews all winter long. Gather 4 to 6 cups of
shellfish shells, from shrimp, lobster, and crab; any combination will work so use whatever you have.
It comes together relatively quickly—takes less than 2 hours from start to finish.

7. Instant Pot Stock

8. HOw to make slow cooker chicken stock.

The pressure cooker is an excellent tool for making chicken stock quickly. It prevents evaporation and
cuts out hours of simmering time. Use 1 to 5 pounds of bones and make sure to only fill the pressure
cooker up to two thirds full.

Ingredients

4 to 6 cups shellfish shells, from shrimp, lobster, and/or crab

1/2 cup dry white wine
1 large yellow onion, sliced or chopped
1 carrot, roughly sliced or chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly sliced or chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 sprigs thyme
Several sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
10 to 15 whole peppercorns
2 teaspoons salt
Method
.
Break up larger pieces of shell:
.
Break thick shells (lobster or crab) into smaller pieces by
putting in a sealed, thick plastic bag and either rolling with a
rolling pin or hitting with a meat hammer to crush.
.
Cut up thinner shrimp shells with a chef's knife. Don't crush or
cut too small. You can even skip this step if you want, if you
are already dealing with broken up shell pieces (like cracked
crab).
.
.
Roast shells (optional):
.
Place in a large roasting pan and roast at 400°F for 10
minutes (this step you can skip, but it greatly enhances the
flavor).
.

.
.
Cover shells with water and heat to not quite a simmer:
.
Put the shells in a large stock pot and add enough water to
cover the shells with an inch of water. Heat the water on high.
As soon as you see that little bubbles are starting to come up
to the surface, reduce the heat to medium.
.
 .
Do not let the water boil! You want to maintain the
temperature at just at the edge of a simmer (around 180°F),
where the bubbles just occasionally come up to the surface.
.
Do not stir the shells! Stirring will muddy up the stock.
.
Skim the foam. As the bubbles come up to the surface a film
of foam will develop on the surface. Use a large metal spoon
to skim away this foam. Let the shells cook like this for about
an hour; skim the foam every few minutes. The foam comes
from shells releasing impurities as their temperature
increases.
.
.
Add the wine, onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, herbs,
peppercorns:
.
Once the stock has stopped releasing foam, add the wine,
onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, thyme, parsley, bay leaf,
and peppercorns.
.
 .

.
Bring to a low simmer and reduce heat so that the stock
continues to barely simmer, but not boil, for 30 minutes. If
more foam comes to the surface, skim it off. Add salt and
remove from heat.
.

.
.
Strain through a lined sieve:
.
Use tongs, a large slotted spoon, or a spider strainer to lift out
and remove most of the solids from the stock. (Later put in a
plastic bag and put outside in the trash! Shellfish shells have a
way of stinking up a kitchen.)
.

.
The magic of a slow cooker is its ability to maintain a consistent, low temperature for hours,
which is exactly what stock requires. It allows for more flexibility and less hovering over a

Learn
pot. The bones and aromatics can simmer in the slow cooker from 8 to 24 hou

Different Stocks, Sauces, and

Soups Before Creating New Dishes
Learning different stocks, sauces, and soups is essential for anyone starting to build
their menu. Before creating new and unique dishes, you need to know how to
prepare stocks, sauces, and soups first. These three serve as culinary bases from
which you can start to innovate.

An Introduction to different stocks, sauces, and

soups
Stocks, soups, and sauces are the foundation of many types of cuisines across the
world. Award-winning dishes from five-star restaurants also start from a base made
with any of these three. Here’s a basic introduction to these three dish bases:

 
 Stocks

Stocks in cooking are rich, flavorful liquids used as a base for soups, sauces, and
other dishes. These are usually produced by simmering meat, fish, or poultry flesh
and bones, vegetables, and seasoning with liquid. To cut cooking time and create
more efficient operations, you can easily enhance your stocks with rich, meaty
flavors by using bouillons and stock bases like Knorr Beef Broth Base or Knorr
Chicken Cubes.
Types of stocks in cooking:
 Brown stock – Made with beef or veal bones placed in a lightly oiled roasting pan and browned
in an oven.
 White stock – Uses Simmered and un-browned veal or beef bones that provide more delicate
flavors.
 Chicken stock – Prepared by simmering chicken bones with mirepoix and seasonings. It is also
sometimes referred to as white stock.
 Fish stock – Made with the bones, heads, skin, and trimmings of lean, white deep-sea types of
fish.

 
 Soups

Soups should always be prepared with high-quality ingredients, using the proper

techniques. Gelatine from boiled bones provides the “body” of the soup, but
thickening agents such as meat, fish, poultry, or vegetables can also serve as
alternatives. There are two categories of soups:
1. Clear soups
Clear soups are simple and have no solid ingredients. Some examples are:
 Broth – A flavor-packed liquid that is a by-product of simmering meat or vegetables.
 Vegetable soup – A liquid made from clear seasoned stock or broth with one or two types of
prepared vegetables.
 Consommé – A rich, flavorful stock or broth made clear and transparent.

2. Thick soups
You can distinguish this soup type from clear ones by its opacity. Thick soups are
denser thanks to thickening agents such as roux. For a heavier consistency, you may
also add a combination of one or more pureed ingredients to the mix. It creates the
following:
 Cream soup – A liquid thickened with a roux or other thickening agents with milk or cream.
 Puree – A soup that is naturally thickened by one or more pureed ingredients or based on starchy
ingredients.
 Chowder – A hearty American style of soup made from fish, shellfish, or vegetables.
 Potage – A thick and hearty soup or stew usually comprised of meats or vegetables cooked in a
liquid to form a thick mixture.

Sauces

Sauces are liquids that increase flavor and palatability or enhance the appearance,
nutritional value, and moisture content of food. Most fried, grilled, roasted, and
steamed dishes benefit from the addition of different types of sauces. There are
 numerous ways of making sauces but they are best enhanced with the following
thickeners:
 Slack or brown roux – Prepare by using more fat than flour for thickening demi-glace sauces.
 Lean or white roux – Make by using more flour than fat. This can be blended with milk to create
béchamel sauce or with meat stock to create velouté.
 Egg – Use a whole egg as the whites hold moisture loosely for a creamy consistency and the yolk
provides more thickening power.
 Starch – Use starch made from waxy maize, corn, potato, rice, or arrowroot. Dissolve the starch in
hot water to create gelatinization for a proper thickener.

Types of sauces
 Brown sauce – Prepared with mirepoix, fat, and flour to create a tan-colored sauce.
 Velouté sauce – Prepared from white stock and lean roux to create a base for cream soups and
vegetarian sauces.
 Béchamel sauce – Prepared with a mixture of flour, butter, and milk from a meat base.

Also known for being one of the mother sauces, it is a basic preparation that when

combined with other ingredients gives a unique flavor. Made with flour, milk, and butter, it is a great

complement to pasta, vegetables, red meat, and fish. Due to its thick consistency, this sauce of

French origin, but also widely used in Italian cuisine, gives a creamy touch to any dish.

 Cream sauce – Prepared with rich cream or a milk base to produce a white liquid.

Preparing any of these liquids will require practice as they are not easy to perfect.
Your first try might not even give you your intended results. To save time and
effort, you can turn to Knorr Chicken Cubes or Knorr Beef Broth Base. These
products produce comparable tastes to different stocks, sauces, and soups made
from scratch. 
Basic Stocks
Stock, the strained liquid that results from cooking poultry, meat or fish with
vegetables seasonings in water, forms the basis of many soups, sauces and
stews. Home made stocks produce a fines, more aromatic and less salty flavour
than shop-bought cubes , granules and canned broths. They also freeze well, so
you always have them to hand.

Chicken Stock

Pale and golen in colour, this classic can be made from raw chicken bones and
carcass or the bones and scraps of a cooked chicken. Blanching the bones first is
a chef’s technique to remove excess fat; an alternative method is also given.

1. Add bones to vegetables in a pan,cover with water an bring to boil. During

simmering, skim often.
2. Laddle into a fine sieve set over a bowl. Press the solids with the ladle to
extract all of the liquid.
3. Remove Fat. Refrigerate stock overnight, then lift off any surface fat with a
slotted spoon.

Brown Stock
This meaty stock, which can be made with beef or veal bones, has a good, strong
flour and flavour

because the bones are roasted first. Roasting caramelizes the outside of the
bones and so adds colour to the stock; it also renders the excess fat. For a white
stock, omit roasting.

1. Add vegetable to bones halfway through roasting time and stir to mix.
2. Skim stock as often as possible during simmering to remove fat and scum.
3. Ladle into a fine sieve set over a bowl. Press the solids with the Ladle to
extract all of the liquid.

Fish Stock
For a delicate flavour, use the bones and trimmings of white fish such as sole,
turbot plaice or haddock, or pale pink fish such as salmon shown here. Do not
use strong-flavoured oily fish such as mackerel. Simmer fish stock for 20 minutes
only; longer cooking will make the stock bitter.

1. Cut the bones and fish trimmings into pieces using a chef’s knife. Remove the
eyes and gills.

Degorge the bones and trimmings by soaking them in cold water for about 10
minutes. ( This remove any blood and Muddy taste). Drain the bones and
trimmings and place in a pan.

2. Cut the vegetable into even pieces and place in the pan with the remaining
ingredient.
3. During simmering , skim off the scum as its rises to the surface of the liquid,
using a large slotted spoon.

Fish Stock

2 kg fish one and trimmings,

Chopped and degorge

1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 recipe

250 ml dry white wine (optional)

12 peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1/2 lemon juice

2.5

Put the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes,
skimming often.Strain the stock and let cool, then refrigerate up to 3 days.
Makes about 3 liters.
Making Stock Cubes

You can prepare stock in large quantities and freeze it for later use(it will keep in
the freezer for up to 6 months). After cooling the stock and removing any
solidified fat, boil it until reduced and concentrated, then let cool and follow the
technique shown here. Frozen cubes can be dropped straight into a soup or stew
as it simmers.

1. Pour cold concentrated stock into ice-cubes trays then open -freeze for about 4
hours until solid .
2. Once the cubes are completely frozen they are ready for use or storing .
Remove them from the tray and place them in a plastic freezer bag. Seal the bag
and return the cubes to the freezer until ready to use.

Making Stock Cubes

You can prepare stock in large quantities and freeze it for later use ( it will keep in the freezer
for up to 6 months). After cooling the stock and removing any solidified fat, boil it until
reduced and concentrated, then let cool and follow the technique shown here. Frozen cubes
can be dropped straight into a soup or stew as it simmers.

1. Pour cold concentrated stock into ice cubes trays, then open- freeze for about 4 hours
until solid.
2. Once the cubes are completely frozen they areready for use or storing.Remove them from
the tray and place them in a plastic freezer bag. Seal the bag and return the cubes to the
freezer until ready to use.
3.

Consomme
A clear stock -based soup, consomme is prepared from chicken, beef or veal
stock( see page 16), which is clarified by the addition of egg.

Making Consomme.
This easy method of clarifying stock uses a mixture of egg whites, a mirepoix of
vegetable and an acid in the form of lemon juice. Chicken consomme is made
here, but the same technique applies to making beef or veal consomme.

1. Whisk 3-4 egg whites with fork until frothy. Add 2 T lemon juice and about
350 mirepoix
2. Add the egg mixture to 2 Li warm stock; bring to boil . While until a crust
forms, 4-6 minutes.
3. Make a hole in the crust for the liquid to simmer through. Simmer gently for
about 1 hour
4. Line a sieve with damp muslin and hold it over a large bowl. Break the crust
the ladle the consomme through the muslin. Retreat in a clean pan and garnish
just before serving with a black truffle julienne and leaves of fresh chervil, as
shown here. Or sprinkle with a vegetable brunoise, the traditional garnish.