Saturday 8 January 2011

Cooking Stock.

I'm tight, so I really like making stock as a by product from cooking other things. Generally I make it from the remains of chicken, turkey at Christmas and you can sometimes get away with ham too, although it can be too salty. Anything with bones will do though, except maybe lamb (soon after I wrote this I came across a recipe needing lamb stock).

Stock recipe make around 1 litr/2 pints :
  • Chicken carcass
  • 1 Carrot, cut into 2 or 3 pieces.
  • 1 onion, quartered. (Or leek tops if you've been cooking leeks)
  • 3 cloves
  • 4 -6 peppercorns
  • 3 cardamon pods (optional)
  • herbs -parsley, thyme, bay rosemary, anything that you've got. (Parsley stalks are good too)
Break up the carcass, place in a pan -it should be a snug fit, add the above and then water to cover. Bring the stock up to a simmer on a low heat and keep it on a slow simmer for a couple of hours. I stick the oven gloves on the pan lid as a bit of insulation. Turn the ring off and leave to cool. I decant the stock into jugs and chill it so that any fat solidifies on the top and can be scraped off.

That's it, either use it or freeze until ready, great for soups, casseroles, risottos &c.

1 comment:

  1. Made a chilli version, totally by accident someone had put chilli powder n the mixed spice jar. Not too bad might even try again with less chilli and some mixed spice.

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