Making Rich Stocks
Making stock is the act of coaxing collagen out of bones and minerals out of vegetables. It is the foundation for almost everything else you will cook in your kitchen.
Temperature control is your only real job.
Your goal is to maintain a constant, gentle convection. If the surface of the liquid is broken by more than one or two bubbles at a time, your heat is too high.
- 8-quart heavy-bottomed stockpot
- fine-mesh strainer
- ladle
- large bowl
What goes in.
- 4 lbbones (beef, chicken, or veal), roasted
- 1 largeyellow onion, quartered
- 2carrots, roughly chopped
- 2celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 headgarlic, halved crosswise
- 4sprigs fresh parsley
- 2bay leaves
- 1 tspblack peppercorns
Keep it below the boil
A steady, low simmer prevents the agitation of fat and impurities, which is the secret to a crystal-clear stock that coats the back of a spoon.
The method.
Brown the bones
Spread the bones on a baking sheet and roast at 425°F until they turn deep mahogany. This step provides the color and depth of the final liquid.
Combine
Place roasted bones and aromatics into the pot. Cover with cold, filtered water until the contents are submerged by at least two inches.
Bring to a tremble
Set the burner to medium-high. Watch closely; as soon as small bubbles begin to form at the edges, turn the heat to the lowest setting.
Skim the surface
Use a ladle to remove the grey foam that rises to the top in the first thirty minutes. After that, let it be.
Slow cook
Simmer uncovered for at least 5 hours. Add water if the level drops significantly, keeping the bones mostly covered.
Strain
Pass the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Press gently on the solids, then discard them.
Other turns to take.
Brown Stock
Roast the vegetables alongside the bones until charred before adding water.
White Stock
Skip the roasting step; blanch the bones in boiling water for 5 minutes, rinse, then proceed with the cold water method.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Cool the stock as quickly as possible by placing the pot in a sink filled with ice water before storing it in the refrigerator.
Wait to salt your stock until you are using it in a final dish, as the reduction process will concentrate any salt you add early on.
If you have extra time, roast your onions until they are nearly burnt to add a dark, rich hue to your beef stock.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why does my stock turn cloudy?
You likely used a rolling boil instead of a gentle simmer, which emulsifies the fats into the water.
Can I reuse bones?
Once they have been simmered for 5-6 hours, they have given up their flavor and collagen; they are best discarded.
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