Four Stocks You Can Count On

In these troubled times, it’s hard to know the safest place to put your money.  I’ve never claimed to be any sort of financial expert, but I know where I’ll be storing my nest egg, and it ain’t under my mattress.  No, these 10 bucks are going straight into my stockpot.  That way, come June, I’ll know I have something left.  Take that, economy.

To continue our previous discussion, don’t let stock’s reputation get you down.  It just requires that you have access to a large pot, that you remain in the vicinity of your house for a few hours while it simmers away (not hard when you’re poor), and that you have some freezer space in which to store it.  Stock is a good way to clean out your crisper of limp celery, dehydrated carrots, and that leek you don’t know what to do with, as well as any onions that are starting to sprout.  I use parsley leaves often when I cook, so I save the stems for stock.  Any vegetables that are about to rot, I store in the freezer until it’s time to make stock.  Same with leftover wine, if you can imagine such a thing.  Ditto for bones, which is one of the benefits of buying local meat. 

Here’s the method for vegetable stock (broth, really), but use whatever you have on hand.  VegYear says potatoes are the secret to a great veggie stock, so I’ve learned something today.  You can then modify this basic recipe if you have access to bones.  Often you can get some for cheap or free from your local butcher or fishmonger if you ask.

Basic Technique: Vegetable Broth

3 onions (or leeks), halved (peeled or unpeeled)
2 garlic cloves, smashed (peeled or unpeeled)
2 carrots and/or parsnips in large chunks (unpeeled with tops is fine, washed would be nice)
2 celery stalks (or small celery root) in large chunks
Handful of parsley stems
Several springs of thyme
A bay leaf
A sprinkling of whole peppercorns
A cup of wine (optional)

Cover with water by several inches (vegetables will float, so use your imagination).  Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.  Let cool a bit, then strain and portion into freezable containers (or ice cube trays).

Here are some non-vegetarian stock options:

Chicken Stock
Add a meaty chicken carcass to the vegetables and add water to cover.  Simmer 2-3 hours, skimming off the foamy stuff that collects at the top.  Strain out the solids and remove the slick layer of fat from the top of the remaining stock.  Or leave it in like I do.

Beef Stock
I like to roast five pounds of beef, veal, or lamb bones for about 45 minutes in a 375ºF oven first to get those deep, meaty, caramelized flavors going on.  Then they go into the pot with the vegetables.  Simmer for 3-4 hours, skimming the foam off every so often.  Remove the fat if you like (this is easier to do when it’s been in the freezer for an hour or two, as it helpfully congeals).

Fish Stock
Fish heads or racks (meaning skeletons, not breasts) from white fish like haddock are ideal.  Oilier fish like salmon I’ve heard don’t make good stock.  You’re supposed to remove the eyes, which cloud up the stock, but I just leave them alone (somehow, gouging them out seems grosser than cooking them).  I like to use fennel fronds in place of carrots, but that’s just me.  Simmer for 30 minutes, skimming occasionally.

Now that you’ve invested in delicious stocks, how do you know when it’s time to cash out?  I find chicken and vegetable stocks to be the most versatile with a subtle flavor good for most soups or sauces.  I like them in risotto and polenta, too.  You can even use them to braise tougher greens like collards and kale.  Beef stock has a more assertive flavor, good for heartier soups and stews.  I use fish stock whenever a recipe calls for clam juice in chowder or any fish-based soup, and you could also use it to poach seafood.  Just remember to add salt whenever you cook with homemade stock.  You’ll need a fair amount, but it will be nowhere near what you get with bouillon cubes.

So, who’s with me?  Let’s hear it for frozen assets, the only investments you can really rely on these days.  At least until they shut off your electricity.  What else do you guys use stock for?

Comments

[giovanna]

This is just what I needed. I make a lot of soup so that's what I use my chicken stock for. I've been wanting to make beef stock for stews and pot roast. You are right, there is nothing like homemade stock! Thank you so much Tammy!

[Jenni]

Finally--no fail investment options with great returns:D

[Janet]

Oh goody, I wondered how to make vegetable and beef stock. I'm going to have to be better about labeling and dating stock.

What's your take on roasting the vegetables first? I think of vegetable stock as not having much flavor without help. That may be a result of cheap supermarket stock, though.

I'm better at making poultry stock than using it. I usually use it in soup, or for any recipe that takes so much work I want to use the good stuff. The usual trigger is a frozen block of stock falling on my foot one time too many.

[Jess]

Definitely roast the veggies, Janet. It's worth the 40 minutes at 400. I roast the onions, carrots, celery, parsnip, garlic, and mushrooms. Add 2c water to the pan and scrape up all the loveliness. Then add to a pot with leeks, parsley, greens, more water, and herbs. The results is a nice, brown, earthy vegetable stock that holds up well.

Kale and chard work best. Turnip and mustard greens make for a very green tasting stock. Not bad, but it does affect the flavor of your soup.

[adele]

I'm with you on chicken stock in polenta. Mmm.

[Tammy]

adele: Mmmhmmm. Unfortunately, Husband hates polenta.

Jess: Nice! I like the addition of mushrooms. I'll roast my veggies next time--you make it sound too good.

Janet: I'm going to go with Jess on roasting the vegetables. 90% of the stock I make is meat so I'll admit I give veggie stock the short shrift. I would imagine that roasting the veggies would ramp up the flavor quite a bit.

Jenni: You almost can't afford NOT to make stock.

giovanna: You're welcome. Mmmmm, pot roast.

[andrea]

I have the exact opposite problem as Janet. I think to myself, does this recipe deserve my beloved homemade stock? If it has too many other flavors, it may not be deemed stock-worthy.

Veggie stock (I love Jess’s info on roasting – will definitely try that) for us is usually comprised of scraps. I save bits and pieces or peelings from celery, carrots, leeks, ginger, garlic, onions, etc. to use for my stock. All cast offs (except parts that can't be cleaned or have gone bad) go into a container in the fridge for veggie stock (or to get added to any other stock that may be simmering).

My chicken stock technique can be best described as lazy. Our carcass usually comes from a roast chicken and I tend to stuff the cavity with veggies when roasting. The whole thing, veggies and all, go into the stock pot at the end of the night. Add water the next day and simmer. Voila.

The only time I’ve made a beef stock to make pho and roasted some of the veggies and spices, but not the bones. Bones were parboiled for about 3 minutes, which creates a clearer broth.

I haven’t tried fish stock yet, but regularly boil shrimp shells for anything that calls for clam juice. I also recently made a pork/beef combo broth (to use up some bones) and used it to cook some white beans. I was a bit worried since I was kind of making it up as I was going along, but it turned out great! I’m guessing it must be pretty hard to mess up stock.

[Tricia]

And here I thought fish racks were the antlers found mostly on the adult males... [ba-duh-boom!]

I've read that veggie stock doesn't keep very well, that it loses the flavor (and perhaps the nutritional benefits?) when frozen. I mostly make chicken or turkey stock, with a method like andrea's.

[Janet]

How sad is it that I didn't get the title was a joke for five days? Economic uncertainty.. stocks.. light dawns over marble head.

Tammy said:
"Stock is a good way to clean out your crisper of limp celery, dehydrated carrots, and that leek you don’t know what to do with, as well as any onions that are starting to sprout. "

Hey, get outta my fridge! It's not ready for company.

[mim]

Staying home to watch the pot may not be hard if you're unemployed, but it can be hard if you're one of the working poor, working long hours, perhaps at multiple jobs, and running errands in whatever time you have left because you dare not displease your boss(es).