Making your own stock is so simple to do. It makes use of very economical ingredients such as inexpensive bones, and can even be made from leftovers such as the carcass of a roasted chicken or scraps of vegetables – even vegetable peels (not potato). With homemade stock, you control the salt level and can feel confident that your stock is 100 per cent natural with a rich flavour.
As well as the various meat and poultry stocks made from bones, fish bones and prawn or lobster shells make an excellent seafood stock, and a vegetable stock is made from selected tasty vegetables.
Please note that no yield is specified for any of the stock recipes. This is because there are too many variables, including the size of the pot and the level of reduction desired intensity of flavour.
• Place solid stock ingredients in the pot with spices.
• Barely cover with cold water and bring to the boil over medium heat.
• Reduce heat and simmer for the specified time (see Tips).
• Strain as directed, then reduce as desired.
• Add fresh herbs 15 minutes before the end of cooking time.
• Cool quickly (see Tips), then pour into smaller containers and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• In the case of meat or poultry stocks, when cold, remove any fat from the surface.
• For meat-based stocks, the bones may be roasted first to develop colour and flavour.
• Suitable vegetables include onion, carrots and celery. Vegetables should be washed but not necessarily peeled. Using unpeeled onions will give a good colour to your stock, as will ripe tomatoes and mushrooms.
• Don’t include starchy vegetables (such as potato), as this will make your stock cloudy. The stock will spoil quite quickly, too, as potato tends to ferment. Also avoid green vegetables, cauliflower and cabbage, as they may give unpleasant flavours and again tend to make the stock spoil.
• The general rule for a bone-based stock (with the exception of fish stock) is one part protein to three parts water. When you become more experienced at making stock, you can vary it to taste – but never add too much water, which should barely cover the solid stock ingredients in the pot.
• Always start with cold water. Different ingredients release their nutrients and flavours at different temperatures, so by starting from cold, you’ll extract the optimum goodness of each.
• Add just a little cider vinegar at the outset with meat or poultry stocks – this will help extract nutrients from the bones.
• Don’t add salt: natural salts will increase as the stock cooks. (Later you may wish to add salt to the dish you prepare with your homemade stock.)
• Stock should always be cooked uncovered to help the liquid to reduce.
• Never boil a stock, only simmer, otherwise it will become cloudy and bitter.
• As bone-based stocks simmer, skim off the scum that rises to the surface and discard.
• Cook meat-based stocks for 4–5 hours. Vegetable stock is cooked for 2 hours. Fish stock is cooked for 20 minutes.
• Add fresh herbs about 15 minutes before the end of cooking time. Good herbs for stock include parsley (including stalks), thyme and rosemary.
• Taste as you go: the flavour will intensify as the stock reduces.
• Gently strain the stock though a colander lined with a single thickness of muslin.
• Once the stock is strained, taste: if you feel it still needs more flavour, cook longer until the desired intensity is reached, tasting often.
• The stock needs to be cooled quickly. A good method is to sit the pot in a sink of cold water. Once cool, transfer the stock to smaller containers and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• When cold, remove any fat from the surface of meat or poultry stocks.
• Store in the fridge for 3–4 days or freezer for 2–4 months.
Ask your butcher to crack the bones for maximum flavour.
1kg meat bones (e.g., beef, lamb, pork)
2 onions, unpeeled and halved
2 carrots, cut into 1cm pieces
3 sticks celery, cut into 1cm pieces
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
12 cups (3 litres) water
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 sprig fresh rosemary (optional)
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme
Optional step: place the bones in a greased baking dish and roast at 190°C until browned. Turn the bones several times to ensure even browning. (Don’t allow to burn, as this will make the stock bitter.)
Place the bones in a stockpot or large saucepan. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns.
If you roasted the bones, pour 1 cup of the water into the baking dish and heat on the stovetop, stirring, to deglaze the pan. Pour this into the stockpot, together with the cider vinegar and the remaining water.
Bring to the boil, then reduce heat immediately and simmer for 4–5 hours, adding the fresh herbs about 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Strain, cool and store as per Tips.
The bones and trimmings of leftover roast chicken can be used instead of raw pieces. Other types of poultry can be used – for example, turkey, duck or quail.
1kg chicken carcasses, wings or necks (or a ‘boiling’ chicken)
2 onions, unpeeled and halved
2 carrots, cut into 1.25cm pieces
2 sticks celery, cut into 1.25cm pieces
2 cloves garlic, sliced
½ small fennel bulb, sliced (optional)
100g mushrooms, sliced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
12 cups (3 litres) water
1 sprig fresh rosemary (optional)
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Optional step: place the bones in a greased baking dish and roast at 190°C until browned. Turn the bones several times to ensure even browning. (Don’t allow to burn, as this will make the stock bitter.)
Place the bones in a stockpot or large saucepan. Add the vegetables, garlic, fennel (if desired), mushrooms, bay leaf and peppercorns.
If you roasted the bones, pour 1 cup of the water into the baking dish and heat on the stovetop, stirring, to deglaze the pan. Pour this into the stockpot, together with the cider vinegar and the remaining water.
Bring to the boil, then reduce heat immediately and simmer for 3–4 hours, adding the fresh herbs about 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Strain, cool and store as per Tips.
Fish heads, bones and trimmings of flesh are ideal for this stock. (However, don’t include the gills, which will make the stock bitter, or the skin.) Don’t use an oily or strongly flavoured fish. Prawns or lobster heads and shells can be included for a well-coloured stock.
1kg fish bones
1 onion, unpeeled and halved
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 carrot, cut into 1cm pieces
2 sticks celery, cut into 1cm pieces
½ fennel bulb, sliced
1 bay leaf
¼ cup (125ml) white wine (such as riesling)
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 sprig fresh parsley
4 cups (1 litre) water
Place the bones in a stockpot or large saucepan, then add the remaining ingredients.
Bring to the boil, then reduce heat immediately and simmer for 20 minutes.
Strain, cool and store as per Tips.
While it’s not absolutely necessary to sweat the vegetables in a little oil to start, this will help to increase flavour. The addition of the mushroom and tomato improves colour.
2 onions, unpeeled and quartered
3 sticks celery
125g ripe red tomatoes
2 carrots
½ small fennel bulb
1 leek, white part only (optional)
100g mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
7 cups (1.75 litres) water
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh parsley
With the exception of the onions, dice the vegetables, mushrooms and garlic. Heat the oil, and sauté the vegetables, mushrooms and garlic over medium–low heat until starting to caramelise.
Place in the stockpot or saucepan with the peppercorns, bay leaf and water, and simmer for 2 hours, adding the fresh herbs 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Strain, cool and store as per Tips.