Make Your Own Stock:
*Chicken Stock
Leftover bones and skin from a cooked or raw chicken carcass
Celery
Onions
Carrot
Parsley
Salt
Pepper
Put the leftover bones and skin from a chicken carcass into a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Add veggies like celery, onion, carrots, parsley. Add salt and pepper, about a teaspoon of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper.
Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to barely a simmer. Simmer uncovered at least 4 hours, occassionally skimming off the foam that comes to the surface.
Remove the bones and strain the stock.
If making stock for future use in soup you may want to reduce the stock by simmering a few hours longer to make it more concentrated and easier to store.
*Beef Stock
3-4 lbs beef neck bones, with the meat (get at your local butcher)
3-4 ribs celery, cut into large pieces
3-4 carrots, cut into large pieces
1-2 onions, peeled and rough chopped
1 bulb garlic, skin removed and slightly crushed
1 tbsp peppercorns
1-2 tbsp salt
handful of fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put neck bones on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until they are browned.
Meanwhile, prep vegetables and put in a large stockpot (I use a 16 qt pot). Add bones once they’re browned and fill the pot with water. Stir in salt and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and partially cover pot, allowing steam to escape. Simmer for at least 3 hours. The longer you simmer, the better it gets.
When stock is done simmering, remove veggies and bones from the pot. Refrigerate to allow fat to congeal so that you can skim it off (overnight is best). Skim fat off the top and for a really clear, low-fat broth, line a colander with a clean fiber free kitchen towel or cheesecloth and strain broth into a large bowl.
Ladle into storage containers and freeze if you want.
*Vegetable Stock
1 gallon cold water
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 medium leek (white and green parts), rinsed and chopped
1 medium rib celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
½ medium turnip, chopped
½ small tomato, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
For Sachet:
1 bay leaf
½ tsp dried thyme
3-4 fresh parsley stems
3-4 whole black peppercorns
1 whole clove
Make a sachet d’epices by tying the thyme, peppercorns, clove, parsley stems and bay leaf into a piece of cheesecloth.
In a heavy-bottomed stock pot or soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
Lower the heat, add all the vegetables and sweat, with the lid on, for about 5 minutes or until the onions are softened and slightly translucent. Don’t brown the vegetables, though.
Add the water and the sachet, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.
Strain, cool and refrigerate.
Note: you package all stocks and freeze.
Northerly Nosh 