Fish Stock
Seafood stocks are relatively simple to prepare and a wonderful asset to add extra punch to any seafood dish from chowder to paella to stews. It is best to use fish bones or heads from nonoily fish such as flounder, sole, or snapper to produce a clean-tasting stock. Bones from oily fish such as salmon or mackerel produce an oily overpowering stock.
Makes 6 cups (1½ liters)
1 to 1½ lbs (450 to 675 g) fish bones
1 carrot, sliced into 1-in (2½-cm) pieces
2 stalks celery, sliced into 1-in (2½-cm) pieces
1 bay leaf
5 to 6 green onions (scallions)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
One ½-in (1 ⅓-cm) cube fresh ginger, peeled
5 to 7 cups (1 to 1½ liters) water
Spread all of the ingredients evenly on a sheet pan. Place the pan under the broiler 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) from the flame for 12 to 15 minutes. Periodically turn the bones and vegetables to brown all the sides. Place the roasted vegetables and fish bones in a medium stockpot (3 to 4 quarts/liters). Pour in water to cover the ingredients by 1 inch (2½ cm). Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Strain the stock through a fine sieve. Discard vegetables and bones. Cool stock. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.
Variation: Shrimp Stock. Substitute the fish bones with shrimp shells from 2 pounds (900 g) raw shrimp for the fish bones.
Beef Stock
Choose meaty beef bones from the neck, knuckles, ribs, or shank to produce a rich, flavorful beef stock. I particularly like supplementing my beef bones with a few cuts of oxtail, which are packed with collagen and produce an incomparably thick gelatinous broth. Oxtail used to be a throwaway cut, the scraps that were left to the dog. However, its revival on upscale restaurant menus has elevated the demand and the price so that it is no longer a true bargain. Using oxtail for stock reaps double rewards—a bosomy broth and the simmered oxtail meat, tender and supercharged with flavor that begs to be added to soups, stews, or pastas.
Makes 4 to 5 quarts (3¾ to 4¾ liters)
4 lbs (1¾ kg) beef bones plus 1 lb (450 g) cut oxtail
2 large onions, quartered
5 green onions (scallions), whole
3 large carrots, cut into 1-in (2½-cm) pieces
4 celery stalks, cut into 1-in (2½-cm) pieces
4 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup (250 ml) rice wine
2 bay leaves
5 to 6 quarts (4¾ to 5 liters) water
Brown the bones: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the bones, onions, green onions (scallions), carrots, celery, and garlic in a large roasting pan. Roast the bones and vegetables in the oven 1 to 1½ hours, occasionally turning the bones and vegetables so that they are browned on all sides but not burnt. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and quickly transfer the bones and vegetables to a large pot. While the roasting pan is still hot, deglaze the roasting pan with the rice wine, scraping any toasted bits of meat or vegetables from the pan. Pour the wine and scrapings into the pot with the bones and vegetables. Add the bay leaves and water. There should be enough water so that there is at least 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) of water covering the bones.
Simmer the stock: Bring the stock to a boil. Using a ladle, skim and discard the foam that rises to the top. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the stock 4 to 5 hours. Remove the meaty bones and oxtail and set aside on a plate. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a large container. Discard the vegetables and aromatic herbs. Cool the stock and bones to room temperature. Skim off the fat from the surface of the stock or refrigerate the stock and scrape off the hardened fat. Use your fingers to pull the meat off the bones. Discard the bones and gristle. Reserve the meat for another use. Store the broth in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze in ice cube trays or small containers for up to 3 months.
Chicken Stock and Flaked Chicken
Whether you’re whipping up a warm soup, braising a roast, or cooking rice pilaf, a light and versatile chicken stock is an invaluable ingredient that adds flavor and depth to your food. Here is a simple recipe for a light chicken stock that calls for simmering a whole chicken so that you are left not only with the broth but with tender cooked chicken that can be used in countless recipes for your favorite salads, casseroles, or soups. The broth can be frozen in ice cube trays or small containers for convenient use. Portion the chicken into ½ to 1 pound (225 to 450 g) bags that can be defrosted quickly.
Yields 8 to 10 cups (1¾ to 2¼ liters) stock and 1 lb (450 g) cooked chicken
4 to 5 lbs (2 to 2½ kg) whole chicken
2 medium onions, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped into 2-in (5-cm) pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 2-in (5-cm) pieces
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
One ½-in (1-cm) cube fresh ginger, peeled
6 black peppercorns
10 to 12 cups (2¼ to 3 liters) cold water
Prepare the chicken: Remove the giblets packet from the cavity of the chicken. Reserve the neck bone for the stock. Rinse the inside and outside of the chicken thoroughly under cold water.
Make the stock: Place the chicken and neck bone in a large stockpot (6 quarts/liters) with the remaining ingredients. There should be enough water in the pot so that there is at least 1 inch (3 cm) of water covering the chicken. Over a high flame, bring the water to a boil. Using a ladle, skim and discard any foam that rises to the top of the stock. Reduce the stock to a simmer over medium heat for 2 to 2½ hours.
Strain the stock and flake the chicken: Cool the stock to room temperature. Remove the chicken from the pot. Pour the stock through a fine sieve into a large container. Discard the vegetables, bay leaf, ginger, and peppercorns. Use a ladle to skim the fat off the broth or refrigerate the broth and scrape off the solidified fat. The chicken will be very tender and easy to pull from the bones using your hands. Flake the chicken into small chunks, discarding any skin, bones, or cartilage. Store the broth in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. The chicken may be refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Vegetable Stock
Vegetable stock, with its light, neutral taste, is a versatile ingredient that can be used in practically any dish to add both moisture and flavor. Not only does vegetable stock take little time to make, but it is easily assembled with ingredients you probably already have in your refrigerator. It’s also an economic way to utilize wilted vegetables that are past their prime.
Makes 4 cups (1 liter)
½ lb (225 g) onions, quartered
½ lb (225 g) carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
¼ lb (125 g) celery stalks, cut in into thirds
2 whole green onions (scallions), cut in half
4 cloves garlic, peeled
One ½-in (6-mm)-slice peeled fresh ginger
6