21/06/2024
Food for thought
It is SOUP Season…so let’s get familiar with STOCK
Recently there was an independent ‘Australia Supermarket Liquid chicken stock taste test’ undertaken.
A dozen chicken and ‘chicken-style’ liquid stocks and bone broths were warmed and tasted; the judges were unanimous - the stock standard is bad!
There seemed to be no relationship between the price or saltiness of a stock and its final score (don’t assume the saltier the stock, the tastier it would be!).
Products advertised as stocks were comprehensively better than those advertised as bone broth.
The verdict – ‘A product literally made from chicken does not taste so’ – now why aren’t we surprised about that 🤔
I beg the question…. why buy stock? Some of us have been brought up using stock cubes as a pantry staple – once you've tasted homemade stock, you'll be saying 'Yucko' to the cubes! Buying liquid stock ready to go is trendier these days….AND way more expensive.
Simply put - it's leftovers boiled up in a pot and strained (of bones) or pureed for veg Right!?
I have made a great number of stocks, all of them improvised with leftover bones straight from the dinner plate (or picked out of the bin…oh dear) and sorry looking vegetables - a bit of this and a bit of that!
Homemade stock is the way to go, fresh and delicious. Bone broth happens to be the most nutrient dense food you can drink! It’s high protein content also reduces appetite and supports gut health.
Making stock from your leftover scraps is easy, saves you money, reduces food waste, and is a so-simple way to transform ingredients you'd normally toss, into a flavourful kitchen staple.
Remember, just because you wouldn't want to eat it, doesn't mean it doesn't belong in your stock bowl... in fact, if it's a part of a vegetable you don't want to eat, it probably does belong in the stock bowl. From the papery skin on garlic cloves and onions to wilted radish tops to carrot shavings not forgetting Parmesan cheese rinds. Throw in some whole aromatic veggies, in addition to whatever scraps you have, into the pot for stock. Once you've made your stock and let it cool, simply transfer it to an airtight glass or plastic container and store it in the fridge for up to a week or freeze in portions.
Here is a basic guide to follow…but honestly anything goes with stock!
Homemade Beef, Chicken, or Veggie Stock
Ingredients:
Leftover beef or chicken bones (disregard if you are making vegetable stock and add all your scrap veggies)
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
6 large garlic cloves
4 large carrots, broken into pieces
4 large celery stalks, broken into pieces
Herbs and other spices of your choice. We recommend any or all of the following:
- 15 parsley sprigs (or just scrap stems)
- 10 black peppercorns
- 8 thyme sprigs
- 3 bay leaves
- Rock Salt
Instructions:
Stock in the makingCombine the beef or poultry bones, veggies, seasonings, and spices in a large stockpot. Cover ingredients by about 2 inches of cold water. If you'd like to simmer the liquid longer (think 6-24 hours) for more concentrated flavour and less monitoring, try using a slow cooker instead of a stockpot on the stove.
Place pot over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 to 4 hours, skimming off and discarding foam occasionally. Add warm water to pan, as needed, to keep ingredients covered in water. Strain stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl pressing down on the vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Cool stock to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate 5 hours or overnight. Skim solidified fat from surface; discard fat.
For vegetable stock, strain and blend to a paste and dilute as need for recipes. Vegetable stock paste can keep for 3 months in the fridge with sufficient salt content (rock salt is best)
Tip: have a bag or container in your freezer to pop all your scraps in throughout the week, when you're ready to make the stock - simply empty the contents and voila!
