Making Proper Kitchen Stock
A good stock is the architecture for everything else you cook. Once you stop relying on store-bought boxes, your soups, braises, and pan sauces change entirely, gaining a depth you can't fake with concentrates.
Cold water is the only way to start.
Starting with cold water allows the proteins and fats to extract gradually as the temperature rises. If you drop cold bones into boiling water, the pores lock up and the flavor stays inside the meat instead of moving into the liquid.
- Large 8-10 quart stockpot
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Large ladle
- Fat separator or shallow bowl
What goes in.
- 4 lbChicken backs, wings, or meaty veal bones
- 2 largeYellow onions, quartered with skins left on
- 3 stalksCelery, roughly chopped
- 2 largeCarrots, scrubbed and cut into chunks
- 1 headGarlic, halved crosswise
- 1 bunchFresh parsley stems
- 2Bay leaves
- 1 tspWhole black peppercorns
- 4 qtCold filtered water
Skim, don't stir
As the stock approaches a simmer, impurities rise to the top as a grey foam. Use your ladle to gently lift this foam away repeatedly until the surface remains clear; stirring it back in will make your final stock murky.
The method.
Brown the bones
Spread bones on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F (200°C) for 40 minutes until deeply browned. This step is optional but adds a richer color and depth to brown stocks.
Combine and cold start
Place bones, vegetables, and aromatics into the stockpot. Cover with cold water until the ingredients are submerged by at least two inches.
The long, slow simmer
Bring the pot to a bare simmer over medium-low heat. You should see an occasional bubble breaking the surface, but never a rolling boil. Simmer uncovered for 4 hours.
Strain
Place your fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl or secondary pot. Carefully pour the liquid through. Discard the spent bones and vegetables; do not press on them, or you will cloud the stock.
Chill and clarify
Cool the stock completely in the refrigerator. A layer of fat will solidify on the top, which acts as a seal. Remove this disc of fat before using the stock.
Other turns to take.
Vegetable Stock
Omit bones entirely. Increase the onion and carrot count and add mushrooms or leeks for earthiness. Simmer for only 45 minutes to prevent the vegetables from turning bitter.
Fish Fumet
Use white fish bones and heads only. Do not use oily fish like salmon. Simmer for only 20-30 minutes.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never add salt during the simmering process. You want to control the seasoning in the final dish, not the stock itself.
Keep a gallon freezer bag in your freezer to collect clean vegetable scraps like onion ends, carrot peels, and herb stems to use for your next batch.
Stock keeps in the refrigerator for four days, or you can freeze it in pint-sized containers for up to three months.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my stock cloudy?
Usually because it boiled too vigorously, or because you stirred the pot while it was simmering, breaking down the proteins into the liquid.
Do I have to roast the bones?
For a 'white' stock (delicate flavor), skip roasting. For a 'brown' stock (intense, robust flavor), roasting is essential.