Make Stocks for Soups and Sauces

Stocks are the foundation of many dishes and its important to know how to make each one. They are often very cheap to make and lift the flavour of a lot of foods. Here's how to make several different kinds.

Ingredients

 * Chicken stock: 1 Chicken carcasse, 1 onion, 1 celery stem (without leaves), 1 small carrot. 1 x Bouquet garni.
 * Beef stock: 1kg of beef bones and about 200g beef meat trimmings (not offal however). Any trace of meat will add to the flavour. 1 onion, 1 celery stem (without leaves), 1 small carrot. 1 x Bouquet garni.
 * Vegetable stock: 1 onion, 1 celery stem (without leaves), 1 small carrot, 1 leek (white portion only). 1 x Bouquet garni.
 * Fish stock: 1 fish skeleton (such as cod or flounder, shrimp or lobster tails and shells) with head, spine and tail. 1 onion, 1 celery stem (without leaves)1 leek sliced (white part only). 1 x Bouquet garni.


 * Bones & similar can be sourced very cheaply from butchers or fishmongers - they are often thrown away so in some cases you may need to ask them in advance to keep some for you in their fridges.
 * To make a richer or stronger stock, increase the proportions of bones, meat trimmings and vegetables (to suit relative recipes) by about 10% to the water added.

Steps
Here we will do the 5 main types. Chicken stock shows the main process and for the other types its virtually the same method unless advised.

Chicken Stock

 * 1)  In a stock pan, heat a little oil over medium heat and add the carcasse. Brown the carcasse all over while breaking it up with a wooden spoon. The browner you cook it, the browner the stock.
 * 2)  Add the vegetables and bouquet garni and add water to the pan until the ingredients are covered (at least 1 litre of water). Simmer very gently for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
 * 3) Strain the stock through a fine sieve and it is ready for use. Alternatively, strain and allow it to sediment to collect the clear stock for consomme style soups. (see tips)

Brown Beef Stock

 * 1)  For a brown stock, roast the bones and scraps with a little oil in a roasting pan. Transfer the pan into a preheated moderate oven and roast until well browned. Tip the bones and meat trimmings into a stock pot and deglaze the roasting pan with water. Scrape the roasting pan clean with a spoon to incorporate all the extra flavour into the water and pour this into the stock pot.
 * 2)  Add the vegetables and bouquet garni and add water until ingredients are just covered. Simmer very gently for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Light Beef Stock

 * 1)  Same as for brown beef stock, however you don't need to roast the portions but add them raw to the pan with water and vegetables.

Vegetable Stock

 * 1)  Add a little oil into the stock pot and saute the vegetables gently. Add the water  to cover and bouquet garni and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Fish Stock

 * 1)  In a stock pan, add a little oil and add the fish scraps. Cook over low heat and add water, vegetables and bouquet. Simmer very gently no more than 20 minutes.

Tips

 * Keep the stock pan on a very low temperature, preferably just below simmering as this will make an infusion of the ingredients and prevents the stock turning cloudy which happens when it boils.
 * Avoid adding celery leaves as these can make the stock bitter. Likewise salt and pepper should not be added to the stock but to the final sauce or soup.
 * Brown onion skins or beetroot skins are good natural dyes that can add colour to your stock.
 * A little white wine may be added to fish stock. This stock needs minimal cooking to prevent it from turning grey and bitter.
 * The ingredients used should be discarded afterwards as their flavour has gone into the broth. Classically, scraps were reserved for making stocks.
 * Starchy vegetables such as potato, are not recommended for stocks.
 * For very clear soups, such as consomme, allow the stock ingredients to sediment then ladle the clear fluid from the top.
 * Stock can be portioned into sealed bags and frozen for future use.

Things You'll Need

 * Stock Pan, or any large saucepan with a lid.
 * Wooden spoon
 * Roasting pan (for brown beef stock)
 * Chopping board & knife.
 * Sieve