Most everyone knows how to make a simple chicken stock, maybe even a dark meat beef or lamb stock. But I’m not sure all of us know how to avoid some common mistakes when making stocks, mistakes that can ruin a good effort.
1. The most important thing to do, especially when making a dark meat stock, is to fully roast the bones and meat scraps. If you don’t, the stock will be colored a wimpy grey instead of a beautiful brown.
The same goes for chicken parts: Roast them to a golden brown. That also adds a lot of extra flavor to the eventual broth, too.
In addition, I roast the cut side of any onions that I add to the stockpot, plus I throw in the onion skins because they add color, too.
2. Use an appropriate-sized pot: too small a pot and the stock will be too heavy and even dense; too large, and it will be watered down.
The correct balance is about one-third to one-half meat, bones and flavorings, the rest water, or water and a bit of wine.
3. Don’t put too much “stuff” into the pot along with the meat, just an onion or two, a carrot or two and a celery stick or two, roughly chopped up; some herbs and parsley, peppercorns, maybe a garlic clove or two.
I used to add carrot shavings, leek trimmings, tomato skins, even a potato skin. It was all too much and made the stock too “vegetably,” even bitter.
4. Don’t boil a stock. It willgetall churned up and cloudy. Just simmer it oh-so-slowly.
How long? That’s a good question. Too long — say, 10 or 12 hours — and the stock can become bitter and over-extracted. Too short — say, just an hour or two — and it’s going to be thin and washed-out in flavor. Three to four hours is about right.
5. It’s best to skim the fat — and also the foam, if any — from a stock as you go. Either will rise to the top.
But the easiest way to remove all the fat is to let the stock chill overnight and then take the congealed fat off the top the next day. But, caution: Be sure not to put boiling hot stock into the frig right off the stove.
6. I like to keep stock that I’ve made on hand by putting a quart of it in heavy plastic zipper bags and freezing them.
I also put some in an ice cube tray and freeze those; when you need to deglaze a skillet or add a touch of flavor to a dish, you’ve got a couple of tablespoons of stock ready to go, one cube at a time.
Leftover Roast Chicken Stock
Kay Chun, Gourmet magazine, March 2009
Makes 6 cups
Ingredients
- 2 chicken carcasses left over from roast chicken, any herbs in cavities discarded
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
- Scant 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 8 parsley sprigs including long stems
- 4 quarts water
Directions
Bring all ingredients to a boil in an 8-quart stockpot. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming foam occasionally, 2 hours. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. If you have more than 6 cups, boil to reduce; if less, add water. If using stock right away, skim off and discard fat. If not, chill stock (covered once cool) and discard fat after it solidifies.Cook’s notes: In place of roast-chicken carcasses, you can use 3 1/2 to 4 pounds wings, necks, and backs from uncooked chickens. Stock can be chilled up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.
Reach Bill St John atbsjpost@gmail.com
