Inside the Spanish kitchen: how to make your own stock

The amount of water you use, and therefore the amount of stock you will have, depends on the size of your stockpot. On average, if you start with 3 litres (96 fl oz/12 cups) of water you will end up with about 2.5 litres (88 fl oz/10 cups) of stock. Well-cleaned old soft-drink bottles or plastic milk containers are ideal for storing home-made stock. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Vegetable stock

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 2.5 LITRES (88 FL OZ/10 CUPS)

1 brown onion, unskinned

1 large leek, pale part only, washed

2 carrots

4 celery stalks

1–2 parsnips

1 turnip

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

1 bouquet garni

1 small handful flat-leaf parsley with stems

about 3 litres (104 fl oz/12 cups) (see water)

Chicken stock

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 2.5 LITRES (88 FL OZ/10 CUPS)

4 raw chicken carcasses (ask your butcher)

1 brown onion (unskinned) or 1 large leek, pale part only, washed

1 carrot

3 celery stalks

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

1 bouquet garni

1 small handful flat-leaf parsley with stems

about 3 litres (104 fl oz/12 cups) (see water)

Fish stock

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 2.5 LITRES (88 FL OZ/10 CUPS)

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) fish heads and bones

1 large leek, pale part only, washed

1 carrot

2 celery stalks

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

about 3 litres (104 fl oz/12 cups) (see water)

Put all of the ingredients into a stockpot (you may want to break the celery stalks in half so they fit) then fill with cold water (this will be about 3 litres in an average-sized stockpot). Bring to the boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and leave to cook, uncovered, for a minimum of 2 hours, or 40 minutes for the fish stock.

During the cooking process check occasionally for froth and skim any off the top using a spoon.

When the stock has been cooking for the required time and the liquid smells flavoursome and looks concentrated, strain the liquid into another container or large saucepan. Discard all of the solid ingredients.

Leave the strained stock to cool then pour into containers with lids and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Fideuá stock with sofrito

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 1.5 LITRES (52 FL OZ/6 CUPS)

1 brown onion, diced

1 garlic clove, crushed

olive oil

1 tomato, diced

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

pinch of saffron threads

2 velvet swimmer crabs (or other small crab variety)

12 prawn heads

2 litres (64 fl oz/8 cups) fish stock

200–250 g (8–9 oz) small rockfish

To make the sofrito, in a deep frying pan over medium heat, sauté the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt with a dash of the olive oil, until the onion is soft. Add the tomato, paprika and saffron, and cook for 2–3 minutes, or until the tomato begins to make a sauce. Add the crabs, prawn heads and a ladle or two of the stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, to intensify the flavours.

Put the remaining stock into a stockpot or large saucepan with the rockfish and sofrito. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain the liquid through a fine sieve and keep in a container with a lid in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.