Cooking Stocks were and still are used extensively by the French chefs.
They went to great pains to make them to use "as is", or, to be reduced
to use in sauces. If you want to make your own stock it's not very
difficult, it just takes time.
Chicken Stock (white)
1 hen or chicken (whole) [A hen has a richer flavor]
1 onion quartered
2 carrots cut big
2 stalks celery cut big
2 bay leaves
4 whole toes of garlic peeled
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch of salt
In a stock pot put the hen in and add enough water to cover the hen
about 2 inches. I like a hen because it has a different flavor than a
fryer. Add remainder of ingredients. Boil until hen/chicken is done.
Hens can take as long as 4 hours to boil, chickens usually take about an
hour. It's done when the meat starts to fall off the bone. Don't overdo
it, you'll have bones all over the place. Take the bird out, lower the
fire and slow boil the remaining juices for a few hours to reduce it by
about 1/3.
Brown Chicken Stock (good for gumbo)
You can make a darker richer tasting stock by de-boning the chicken
after it's done and roasting the bones in the oven about an hour at
425ºF. You can do this while reducing the stock. Watch the color of the
bones, you want them nice and brown, not black! Return the bones to the
simmering (not boiling) stock and continue to boil about an hour.
Another method would be using bones from a de-boned chicken. Crack the
big bones with some clean garden shears; this exposes the marrow. Follow
the instructions above.
Beef/Pork/Veal Stock
Use all the same ingredients except the hen [naturally]. Rib bones make
good stock. You can also roast the bones as you did with the chicken
stock.
Seafood Stock
Seafood stock can be made using shrimp shells or fish bones again using
the same method above (don't roast the shells!). This will always be a
white stock.
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Some folks add all kinds of seasonings to their stocks. I don't because
if I'm not sure which dish the stock will be used in. I choose to
control the flavors when I do the dish.
After all the cooking is done just strain the liquid, let it cool and
use it or freeze it in zip-locks.
You notice I used little salt. Salt can always be added to the dish you
are using the stock for. If you decide to reduce the stock further to
use in a sauce you don't want excessive salt in it because as the liquid
cooks off the salt remains.
Bullion cubes and grinds have salt in them. If you use more than the
recommended number of cubes per cup of liquid be sure to taste it before
you add salt. You can also cut celery stalks into about 2" pieces and
cook in the stock until they wilt then remove them. Celery will absorb
salt (and pepper).
Remember, always "simmer" a stock.
Stocks are the beginning of Sauces
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