(Chicken stock for the day:  Chicken, water, onions, celery, carrots, thyme, black peppercorns, and parsley stems)

While in culinary school and at work I have learned how important making stock is. Chicken, Beef, Veal, Vegetable and just about any other meat if you want to give it a go.  Whichever you choose it’s a great way to save money while increasing the flavor of your dishes.

A stock is usually made with the bones of meat with some vegetables and herbs/spices added to the mix.  The classic beef stock consists of beef bones that are roasted then a mirepoix is added (celery, carrots, onion) and caramelized then a bunch of water is added and the stock will cook for 8-12 hours. The same thing is done with chicken minus the caramelization of the vegetables and roasting (unless you’re Eric Ripert, he roasts the chicken…that’s why he’s awesome).  The herbs are debatable and most consist of thyme, bay leaf, and pepper….of course additions and subtractions can be made.  (Oh if you’re curious, a broth is made by using the meat and the bones).

So why is this stock so important?  I like to think of a stock as a great way to dispose of odds and ends in your kitchen. Restaurants have standards and want to keep their stocks tasting the same way every time because those stocks will later go into soups, sauces, or braising liquids but you don’t have to do this at home.   Have a few extra mushrooms that aren’t enough to put into a meal? Throw them into the stock!  Fresh herbs starting to look a little less than perfect? Walk the plank! I like to treat my stocks at home like a little garbage disposal.  Why throw a lot of that stuff into a compost bin, trash, or let it spoil?  Put it into a stock, you paid for the food so eat it!!

At home I make stocks on Wednesday and Thursday’s.  The beef ones I let sit overnight in a rather large stock pot.  I will start the chicken when I get home then cool down and bag before I go to sleep. A vegetable stock takes about 45 minutes so that’s easy! Make stock, stop throwing your food away, eat it! When a recipe asks for water 9 times out of 10 you can use stock to create something more flavor.

A few tips for making a stock at home:

1. Skim the fat as it rises to the top
2. Do not let it boil, a little bit of steam coming out of the pot is perfect
3. Do not stir it, this will give you a cloudy stock.
4. More tips/recipes here (click)

Right now I am making a stock that will go into a braised chicken recipe and then tomorrow I will take more stock and make a potato and leek soup.

There will be lots more coming up on this blog throughout the week for Hunger Action Week so stay tuned. If you like what’s going on here or even if you don’t and you hate me then just forget about that and donate to the United Way of King County.  My words, pictures, and recipes don’t matter. Making sure someone has something to eat for their next meal is important, you can help.

United Way of King County (click here)