Soup, Stock, Broth - lessons
OKay, yesterday I posted an inquiry about how other people make stock/broth and what they consider essential. And here's the results of my first incorporation of those suggestions:
I started with a leftover roasted chicken I had cooked a few days prior. I also had planned over extra potatoes, carrots and onions that had roasted with the chicken. The green stuff is Kale, from my freezer. My parents have quite a garden in their yard and mom always has lots of kale, which she grows, cleans, cooks and freezes for me (because my kids will actually eat it!). I'm down to the last couple of packages and looking forward to her garden excessess again this year. I topped it off with a generous dollop of sour cream. I also had just enough time to throw some bread in the bread machine on dough cycle. Even my pickiest eater declared that "this is good Mom!", a compliment I rarely get volunteered. And as the weather was rather stormy , this was the perfect day for soup. .
Anyway, here's what I learned - hope others find it useful:
I got two suggestions for cooking wine in with the broth. I had always thought wine was to be added later as it could get bitter in long cooking. Anyway, I didn't have much but some went into the broth. It made a delicious difference and next time I'll use more.
Bay leaves - though my mother swears they are THE non-negotiable ingredient in any stock, I learned some people make it without. It is a distinctive flavor and now I'll have to try some without just to see how different it is.
Salt - some salt in the beginning, some at the end depending on the dish being prepared from the stock. It was also suggested that kosher or sea salt makes a nocticeable difference from table salt. As I had a nice jar of French sea salt lurking in the cabinet - I brought it out. The suggestion to add it last seemed wise and that's what I did, reserving half the stock unsalted to freeze for another meal.
The essentials seemed to commonly be onion, carrot, garlic, pepper and frequently celery plus any assorted spices from the cabinet. I opted for the leftover onion and carrot and veggy bits I'd been collecting all week plus (sing it with me) parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme from the spice cabinet (certainly fresh spices would have been better, but these I have on hand always).
All the above pertains to chicken stock, including a suggestion for "intense" stock made with two chickens, long cooked and no additional spices to be cooked down and used in flavoring rice and such. (I"ll try that soon as well).
As for beef/red meat stock - it was suggested to roast the bones with any desired veggies prior to cooking stock. I will try that too.
As for seafood/shellfish stock it seems that a shorter cooking time (2 hours or much less) is preferable, unlike the chicken stock for which I have seen suggestions of 2 hours to many days. Time permitting, it seems longer is better. Mine was on for a couple of hours, then cooled, chicken meat removed, bones and extra veggies returned to pot for another hour. If I'd had more time and more wine I think it would have been better that good, maybe even fabulous.
Am still looking for suggestions for the elusive vegetarian stock. Suggestions welcome and thanks to all who replied.
I started with a leftover roasted chicken I had cooked a few days prior. I also had planned over extra potatoes, carrots and onions that had roasted with the chicken. The green stuff is Kale, from my freezer. My parents have quite a garden in their yard and mom always has lots of kale, which she grows, cleans, cooks and freezes for me (because my kids will actually eat it!). I'm down to the last couple of packages and looking forward to her garden excessess again this year. I topped it off with a generous dollop of sour cream. I also had just enough time to throw some bread in the bread machine on dough cycle. Even my pickiest eater declared that "this is good Mom!", a compliment I rarely get volunteered. And as the weather was rather stormy , this was the perfect day for soup. .
Anyway, here's what I learned - hope others find it useful:
I got two suggestions for cooking wine in with the broth. I had always thought wine was to be added later as it could get bitter in long cooking. Anyway, I didn't have much but some went into the broth. It made a delicious difference and next time I'll use more.
Bay leaves - though my mother swears they are THE non-negotiable ingredient in any stock, I learned some people make it without. It is a distinctive flavor and now I'll have to try some without just to see how different it is.
Salt - some salt in the beginning, some at the end depending on the dish being prepared from the stock. It was also suggested that kosher or sea salt makes a nocticeable difference from table salt. As I had a nice jar of French sea salt lurking in the cabinet - I brought it out. The suggestion to add it last seemed wise and that's what I did, reserving half the stock unsalted to freeze for another meal.
The essentials seemed to commonly be onion, carrot, garlic, pepper and frequently celery plus any assorted spices from the cabinet. I opted for the leftover onion and carrot and veggy bits I'd been collecting all week plus (sing it with me) parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme from the spice cabinet (certainly fresh spices would have been better, but these I have on hand always).
All the above pertains to chicken stock, including a suggestion for "intense" stock made with two chickens, long cooked and no additional spices to be cooked down and used in flavoring rice and such. (I"ll try that soon as well).
As for beef/red meat stock - it was suggested to roast the bones with any desired veggies prior to cooking stock. I will try that too.
As for seafood/shellfish stock it seems that a shorter cooking time (2 hours or much less) is preferable, unlike the chicken stock for which I have seen suggestions of 2 hours to many days. Time permitting, it seems longer is better. Mine was on for a couple of hours, then cooled, chicken meat removed, bones and extra veggies returned to pot for another hour. If I'd had more time and more wine I think it would have been better that good, maybe even fabulous.
Am still looking for suggestions for the elusive vegetarian stock. Suggestions welcome and thanks to all who replied.