Procedure for Preparing White Stocks
1. Rinse the bones in cold water (if desired, chicken,
veal, or beef bones may be blanched.)
This removes some impurities that cloud the stock or, if the bones are old,
give an off taste.
2. Place bones in stock pot and add cold water to cover.
Starting in cold water speeds extraction. Starting in hot water delays it,
because many proteins are soluble in cold water but not in hot.
3. Bring water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Skim
the scum that comes to the surface.
Skimming is very important for a clear stock because the scum (which is fat
and coagulated protein) will cloud the stock if it is broken up and mixed back
into the liquid.
4. Add the chopped mirepoix and the herbs and spices.
Remember, the size you cut mirepoix depends on how long it is to be cooked.
5. Do not let the stock boil. Keep it at a low simmer.
Boiling makes the stock cloudy, because it breaks up solids into tiny
particles that get mixed into the stock.
6. Skim the surface as often as necessary during
cooking.
7. Keep the water level above the bones. Add more water
if the stock reduces below this level.
Cooking bones exposed to air will turn dark and thus darken or discolor the
stock. Also, they do not release flavor into the water if the water doesn't
touch them.
8. Simmer for as long as possible - at least 8
hours.
9. Skim the surface and strain off the stock through a
strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth.
Adding a little cold water to the stock before skimming
stops the cooking and brings more fat and impurities to the surface.
10. Cool the stock as quickly as possible, as follows:
a. Set the pot in a sink with blocks or some other
objects under it. This is called venting. It allows cold water to flow under
the pot as well as around it.
b. Run cold water into the sink, but not higher than the level of the stock
or the pot will become unsteady. An overflow pipe keeps the water level right
and allows for constant circulation of cold water.
c. Stir the pot occasionally so that all the stock cools evenly. Hang a ladle
in the pot so that you can give it a quick stir whenever you pass the sink,
without actually taking extra time to do it.
Cooling stock quickly and properly is very important.
Improperly cooked stock can spoil in 6 to 8 hours, because it is a good
breeding ground for bacteria.
Do not set the hot stock in the refrigerator. All that heat and steam will
overload the refrigerator and may damage other perishables as well as the
equipment.
11. When cool, refrigerate the stock in covered
containers. Stock will keep 2 to 3 days if properly refrigerated.
Preparing Brown Stocks
The difference between brown stocks and white stocks is that the bones and
mirepoix are browned for the brown stock. This causes a few complications, as
you will see. But except for these differences, the procedure is essentially
the same.
Two methods for browning are given below:
Procedure for Preparing Brown Stocks
1. Do not wash or blanches the bones. The moisture would hinder browning.
2. Place the bones in a roasting pan in one layer and
brown in a hot oven 475°F (190°C) or higher. The bones must be well browned to
color the stock sufficiently. This takes over an hour. Some chefs prefer to
oil the bones lightly before browning.
3. When the bones are well browned, remove them from the
pan and place in stock pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a simmer.
4. Drain and reserve the fat from the roasting pan.
Deglaze the pan by adding water and stirring over heat until all the brown
drippings are dissolved or loosened. Add to stock pot.
5. While the stock is getting started, place the
mirepoix in the roasting pan with some of the reserved fat and brown the
vegetables well in the oven. (See alternative procedure below.)
6. When the water in the stock pot comes to a simmer,
skim and continue as for white stock.
7. Add the browned vegetables and the tomato product to
the stock pot. If desired, they may be held out until 3 to 4 hours before the
end of the cooking time.
8. Continue as for white stock.
Alternative Procedure
The mirepoix may be browned with the bones. When the bones are half browned,
add the mirepoix to the pan and continue roasting until bones and vegetables
are browned. Tomato may be added toward the end of browning time, but exercise
caution--tomato puree burns easily.
Some chefs use this method because it eliminates some
steps. Others prefer to brown the mirepoix separately so that it can be added
to the stock later in the cooking time.
It seems like nothing
makes me want to make stock like 18-degree weather. Of course, I make it
throughout the year but winter is definitely my stock-making season. I make some
extra each time and set some aside for the summer months when I do not want to
have the stove burning all day. We heat with wood and so our wood stove houses
my stock pot until it has reduced sufficiently.
There are many different
recipes for making stock, from the simple to the complex but some tips should be
adhered to no matter which recipe you utilize. Here are some of my tips for
making great stock, and great stock should surely be the goal. Although any
stock will be health giving, great stock will elevate any recipe containing this
rich, flavorful broth.
Use only the freshest
ingredients for your stock. I like to use turnips or other root vegetables to
add an earthy rich flavor to my soups but the basic mirepoix is 50% onion, 25%
carrot and 25% celery. You can add and adjust from this basic formula. Fresh
herbs are very important in stock making – they are the essence that will carry
through to the final recipe.
My favorite bones for
flavor have to be the neck bones. The neck in any animal is very flavorful and
I try to include them whenever they are available. It is best to try to include
neck, marrow and shank soup bones to get he benefits of all three in each batch
of stock. I also like to include a chuck roast for flavor and richness but the
stock will still be great without it. Always get your bones from a reputable
farmer; one you know is raising his or her animals in a healthy manner.
Veal bones will give you the most gelatin in your stock
so it's a good idea to add a few to every pot.
I always brown my bones
and vegetables in the oven before boiling for a caramelized, rich flavor. I
preheat the oven to 500°F and place all the bones and vegetables on pans, brush
lightly with olive oil and roast at 375°F for about 1-1 ½ hours, turning
everything once, until everything is richly browned. Do not crowd the
ingredients so that you get good browning and not a steamed mess. Tomatoes,
either crushed or pureed can be poured over the entire lot during the last few
minutes of cooking if desired.
A very wise chef, who knows an amazing amount of
information about stocks related these great tips,
. Don't roast the vegetables but cook them seperately
on the stovetop until the onions are brown all the way through. He
feels that you can never really get great caramelizaiton in the oven.
Definately, if you do roast them, be sure to give them a good coating with
oil..
Place all of the
ingredients into a large stockpot and cover with cold water
making sure to cover the ingredients by at least 2 inches. In order get every last bit of
flavor into your stock, heat your roasting pans over one or two burners on high,
deglaze the pans with water, and bring to a boil. Loosen any browned bits of
meat and simmer for 2 minutes. (This is when you would roast your veggies
if you decide to go the stovetop method)
Add everything from the
roaster to the stockpot, along with your herbs and spices and bring to a boil.
It is important to bring your stock to a full and rolling boil as soon as
possible and then reduce the heat to a simmer for the remainder of the cooking
time. Continuous boiling will cause the fat to suspend in the stock and create
a cloudy stock that will release when it is reheated and separate in your soup.
I like to skim the fat off the top once it has cooled and keep it to add to the
roux (equal parts of butter and flour used to make gravies and thickened soups
and sauces). Some fat will always remain the stock giving it that rich taste
without being overly fatty. It is best to simmer your stock for as long as
possible but at least 6 to 8 hours to give time to extract all the flavor from
the bones.
Another great tip from Chef England:
-once the stock is at a good boil, place it in the oven
at 180F to cook overnight. He tells me that anything below 180F or
above 200F will retard the extraction of gelatin from the bones.
It is important to skim
off any impurities that rise to the surface of your stock during the initial
hour after the stock has come to a boil and has come to a simmer.
When the stock is ready,
strain out the solids and cool the stock as quickly as possible. I place some
cheesecloth over the top and place it outside in cool weather.
**Never keep a lid
on hot stock as the bacteria can grow in the drops of condensation and it will
drop into the stock and can add a sour taste, which can ruin the stock.
If freezer space is at a
premium or if you make gravy often you may like to turn the stock into a glace
de viande, which is a fancy term for a reduction. Take 4 cups of stock and cook
it over a medium-high heat for 20 minutes until it reduces to ½ cup. This glaze
can be frozen in ice cube trays and reconstituted for stock or added to sauces
or gravies for a rich flavor. 4 ounces of glace de viande added to 4 cups of
water will become beef stock again.
Well, this was probably
more than you ever wanted to know about stock making but once you try a favorite
recipe using this stock you will realize that the extra effort is worth it! The
main thing to remember is that your stock, no matter how many of these tips you
utilize, will always be better than the salty, MSG laden “cow’s bath water”
available in cans or the conglomerate of chemicals and preservatives wrapped in
foil that masquerade as “stock”.
