Regarding Stocks and Broths

You should always have stock in your refrigerator and freezer. It's a fact, and I'm happy to tell you why.

Image: Recipes Recommended/Lisa Schattenkirk

Oftentimes when I'm on a roll, talking about cooking with my friends or new friends, the conversation always moves towards stocks and broths. Everything from the most basic soups to complex French sauces, stocks and broths serve as the backbone and foundation. Dense with nutrients and flavor, whenever given the option of using stock in cooking, you should always opt to do so. Because chicken stock is used in about a third or more of the meals I make, there’s a lot to talk about. If you don’t stop me, I could probably talk about it and its place in cooking for a couple of hours or more. That’s okay with me. So, indulge me, if you will, I have a few things I’d like to share.

Image: Recipes Recommended/Lisa Schattenkirk

INGREDIENTS

It's not a complicated list. Seriously. Kind of like making many kitchen staples, this is a recipe which you'll instinctively be buying the ingredients when you're low on them each time you go food shopping. We can break down a basic stock recipe into three sections: Aromatics, Meats trimmings, and the Liquid.

1. Aromatics are common to the entire culinary world. As an example, in common chicken stock, you would use a French mirepoix, carrots, celery and onion. In other cultures, like India, you may see use of ginger and chilis or shallots and lemongrass in Thai cuisine. Simply put, aromatics are a list of vegetables and herbs that add flavor and aroma to a dish.
   

2. Meat Trimmings and Bones are used in stock recipes, bones are sometimes excluded from broths. When roasted, meat trimmings add a ton of nutrition, color and texture to a stock. Stocks range from delicate seafood stocks, which are very fast to make, to deep, rich beef stock which can take up to 48 hours of simmering to complete.

3. It's a good rule to use filtered water when making stocks and broths. If your tap water where you live is good, by all means use it, but where I live I prefer to use water which I've filtered.

When I buy a bag of celery, it usually starts to go limp before I have used it all. This, along with sad carrots and aging parsley is totally ok to use in stock recipes. My wife probably thinks I'm weird for keeping my parsley stems in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer - something I learned while working in profession kitchens is that your chef doesn't like it much when you throw away things which can be utilized elsewhere, almost always for stocks. You can use a lot of different vegetables in stocks, but there are some to avoid. For instance, beets are a bad idea. They impart a strong flavor and color. Potatoes should never go in the pot, either. They are super starchy and will do bad things to your stock. Zucchini and squash make the stock cloudy and don't provide much flavor. When in doubt, searching online will give you the answer to when and when not to throw in that half used veggie you're thinking of adding to your stock.

Image: Recipes Recommended/Lisa Schattenkirk

If you use chicken stock frequently, you should get in the habit of buying and butchering whole chickens. You'll get the trimmings you need, and it's way more cost effective in the long run. Another option is to use leftover carcasses from rotisserie chicken or trimmings you acquire elsewhere. Be sure to always save them, and have a stockpile in the freezer when you need it. We have a video detailing how we butcher a chicken.

 WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Stocks and broths are not only essential in enhancing the taste of dishes but also play a crucial role in creating depth and complexity in flavors. The process of simmering bones, vegetables, herbs, and spices for an extended period extracts all the goodness and richness, resulting in a liquid gold that forms the base of countless recipes. Sometimes you see the two words used interchangeably, but there is a difference and a time and place for each. The short answer is that stocks are made with roasted bones, and broth isn't. There can be a few other differences in recipes you run across, but the main one is whether or not you incorporate roasted bones. Stocks tend to be simmered for longer and have a richer flavor. Broths typically call for more meat and vegetables and are thinner. Stocks are cooked long enough for the gelatins to thicken the cooking liquid. My stocks almost always are jiggly like Jell-O when they come out of the fridge. I use them for soups, sauces, and because they're so good, I even drink them as-is with Lisa. Broths are used as the cooking liquid for rice, grits, and beans. You can obviously use either broth or stock for the same application, but be aware of the star of each recipe you're making and how a stock or broth is going to enhance the dish.

Image: Recipes Recommended/Lisa Schattenkirk

YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE STOCK IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR OR FREEZER

Because stocks are so easy to make, you should make some room dedicated for stock or broth in your refrigerator. Like I also said, stock is an ingredient in a ton of recipes. You could always buy it, but making it at home is healthier and much more satisfying - it connects you more to your food and makes it taste better. Here's an easy recipe to get you started: