Principles of Stock Making

The textbook goes into more information about the principles of stock
making but below are the procedures cooks should follow to develop the
techniques and processes necessary to consistently make quality stocks
consistently. By mastering stock making, cooks can produce quality sauces,
soups, gravies and other products. It all begins with a stock that has the four
main quality characteristics of:

Procedure

1. Start the
stock in cold
water

Body
Clarity
Flavour
Colour

Reason
Starting in cold water allows the proteins and
other impurities to dissolve in the water and then
as the liquid is heated the upward pressure of the
steam causes these impurities to rise to the
surface where they can be skimmed off. If the
bones are covered in hot water the impurities
(mostly oxygen carrying proteins) will coagulate
more quickly and become dispersed in the liquid
causing a cloudy stock
Note: bones for brown stocks should be roasted to
a nice deep brown prior to adding cold water.

2. Bring the
stock to a
simmer

Use high heat for this step but do not allow the
stock to boil. High heat will create an upward
pressure which in turns pushes the impurities
(scum) upward and clarifies the stock.

3. Simmer the
stock gently

Simmering allows the impurities (scum) to

continue to rise to the top of the stock where it
can be skimmed off and removed from the final
product. If you allow the stock to boil the
impurities can blend with the liquid forming a
cloudy stock.

4. Skim the
stock

5. Add mirepoix
and spices

Skimming is done to remove impurities from the

liquid and improve the clarity of the final product.
The stock must come to a simmer prior to starting
the skimming process. Excessive skimming can
actually bury the impurities back into the stock
and have an adverse effect on the clarity
The purpose of mirepoix is to flavour the stock and
flavours break down when heated for a long time.
While some chefs will add the mirepoix at the
beginning of the cooking process it is best to add
it two or three hours before the end of the
cooking, If a stock is to be cooked for a short time,
such as fish, the mirepoix is cut much smaller so it
releases its flavour faster. Also, adding the
mirepoix later, allows for proper skimming without
removing flavouring ingredients.
Mirepoix for brown stock should sauted first and
added with tomato products

6. Strain the
stock
carefully

Straining the liquid ensures your final stock will

have better cleanliness or clarity. Strain through a
china cap strainer lined with cheesecloth or use a
very fine mesh strainer such as a chinois tamine.

7. Cool the stock Cool the stock quickly to prevent food-borne

illnesses or souring. The goal is to get the stock
quickly

out of the DANGER ZONE as quickly as possible.

8. Store the
stock
properly
9. Degrease the
stock

Store the finished stock in a refrigerator (for up to

4 or 5 days) or in a freezer (for several months).
After the stock has cooled you can remove any
hardened fat from the surface before reheating.

Stocks and Sauces:

Foundation for Great
Cooking
Beef-stock-menu
Stocks and sauces play an important
role in the culinary world. The ability
to create delicious stocks will be your
ticket to deep rich flavor. Knowing how
to make stocks properly and correctly
will set you apart in your skills from
the thousands out there who do it
incorrectly. There is a method to
making stocks, and once you know
how to do it you will see a new world
open up to you in ways you've never
thought of before.
Stocks are the bases of almost
everything we do. The French
appropriately call it a fond (base). We
usually create stocks on a regular
basis whether we know it or not. If
you've ever used water as a base for
your soups and added a bouillon base
to flavor it, that's a stock (A crappy
one I

Stocks
Beef stock is rich in flavor
Might add - those things are nothing
but salt and MSG!). Stocks are the
perfect complimentary companion to
the kitchen. They utilize scrap waste,
add depth and flavor, are easy to
prepare, and are universally versatile.
Sauces are the decadent derivative of
stocks. They are concentrated in
flavor, add richness, smoothness, and
enhance any dish. You know what a

great sauce is. You've probably

experienced one at a restaurant over
your steak, maybe a brandy
peppercorn sauce, or perhaps you
enjoyed the most delicious Mac &
Cheese, possibly a cheddar bchamel.
Sauces enrich food the same way that
whipped cream enriches pies, or
frosting enhances cakes. The key to
great sauce making is always, and
always will be, starting off with a great
stock.

Let's dive right into stock making and

understand the differences between a
stock, a sauce, and a broth.

What Is A Stock?
A stock is the essence of flavor
dispersed into water. There are
countless stocks that span many
nations and cultures. A stock that is
unique to a culture defines and
dominates that regional flavoring.
Mexican food has their own stocks.
The Japanese have their own stocks.
China, Thailand, India, and France you name it. We are going to stick with
classic stock making, but The Culinary
Cook may do a write up of some
international stocks at a later date. A
classic stock can be defined into 4
types
White stock
Brown Stock
Fish Stock
Vegetable Stock
Stocks are one of the most important
foundations for cooking. Think of it as

support beams for the house of

culinary. Let's explore the different
types of stocks to see what we can
learn.

White Stock
A white stock is a stock made from
bones that have not been roasted or
browned. They are usually raw and the
most common type of white stock is
the all-purpose Chicken Stock. A white
stock has a lightly golden color that is
clear and mild in flavor. White stocks
are typically used as bases in soups
and as a substitute for water (Pilafs,
for example). They can remain
relatively colorless if colorless
vegetables are used (a white mirepoix
for example). Chicken stock/white
stock tends to have less gelatin
content than brown/beef stock so
thickening by reduction does not
produce the results one would see
from a brown stock.

Brown Stock

brown stock, because that's the only

way you're going to get better!
The uses for brown stock are usually
reserved for darker dishes such as
beef gravies, stews, and jus'. It is also
the base for making demi-glace,
espagnole and, the ultimate in
decadence, glace de viande which are
used in the production of the most
advanced sauces. Developing your
own brand of brown stock (Or any
stock) is vital to your success as a
cook.

Fish Stock
Recipe
Fish stock is derived from the bones of
non-fatty fish. The preferable bones
are that of the halibut, or if
unavailable, other non-fatty flat fish.
They are a snap to make, taking only
45 minutes, and are essential for
dishes that showcase seafood as its
main. Chowders

Recipe
Brown stocks are typically made with
beef bones. The best types of bones to
use are the knuckle/shank from veal,
as they contain higher collagen
content that produces the ever
appealing gelatin look. By roasting the
bones prior to making the stock, you
get a deep, rich, dark brown color. The
caramalization of the bones gives the
stock its color and flavor.

Beef stocks
Stock is very easy to store and use as
needed making it extremely versatile
Brown stock is also the most difficult
to make, as it not only requires the
proper type of bones, the precise
browning of said bones, and the 8-12
hour cooking times, but also a certain
level of understanding about the
process and desired outcome of the
stock. I encourage everyone to
practice and experiment making

Fish stock
A variation of classic fish stock where
the head and trim are used. This can
produce a fatty and cloudy stock as
opposed to solely bones
Are a great use for stocks, as well as a
poaching liquid for other fish? A Fish
stock is clear with a pronounced fish
flavor and very light body. There is a
variation to the fish stock called a
fumet. A fumet is a fish stock that has
white wine added to it. A fumet is
strongly flavored and aromatic.
Reducing a fumet by half results in an
essence.
Fish bones should be washed before
use but never blanched as will lose
flavor. Due to the short cooking time,
mirepoix or other vegetables should
be cut small and sweated to
encourage flavor extraction.

Vegetable Stock

Veloute

Recipe

Espagnole

A vegetable stock is just as the name

implies. It is a low-cost vegetarian
stock used in soups with no meat, or
as a flavor enhancer in place of water.
A good vegetable stock should be
clear and light-colored. There is no
gelatin content due to no animal
products used. Vegetable stock can be
used in place of many meat-based
stock recipes. It is very convenient
when preparing vegetarian dishes or
as a lighter, more healthful alternative
when preparing sauces or soups.
While many different types of
vegetables can be used for stock
making, more variety is not always
better. Sometimes only using one or
two vegetables that complement the
finished dish works out better than a
stock made with too many vegetables.

Tomato

Court Bouillon
A court bouillon is an acidic cooking
liquid that is not actually a stock. It is
prepared in the same manner as a
stock, so we will cover it in this
section. A court bouillon is usually
water with wine or vinegar, where
vegetables and seasonings have been
simmered to extract their flavors. It is
excellent for poaching foods such as
fish and shellfish. A court bouillon is
best when it is prepared fresh.

Stocks
Court bouillon simmering
Sauces
We will only cover sauces briefly at
this stage, as there is so much to learn
about them in later articles. Sauces
are generally derived from stocks and
are thick, rich and full of flavor. There
are 5 different sauces that we call the
Mother sauces.
Bchamel

Hollandaise
These five sauces are easy to
remember by thinking of them as
colors. White, Blonde, Brown, Red &
Yellow, respectively. We'll touch base
on this topic later, where we get indepth on sauce-making!

Broths
Broths have invaded the home market
and have made a lot of home cooks
believe that broths are where the
action begins. While broths certainly
have their place, they are not the
foundation that you should be starting
with.

What is a broth?
A broth is a derivative of a stock that
is created with numerous flavorings
outside of the traditional flavor
essences (Mirepoix for example). They
will contain flavorings like salt, herbs,
and other powerful flavoring agents as
opposed to the subtle and neutral
flavorings of traditional stocks. Broths
are also made with meats rather than
bones and this is the defining
difference between the two products.
So what this means is that a broth is
already halfway complete to a finished
product which leaves you, the cook,
with significantly less options to alter,
change, or create your own flavorings.
Broths must remain the product of
flavoring stock and must be specific to
the dish you are trying to create. A
great example is chicken noodle soup.
A classic soup that transforms a base
chicken stock into a chicken broth by
use of many different spices and the
simmering of chicken meat. The broth
is the end product, and we wouldn't
strain out the chicken broth to use in,
say, a stir fry because the flavorings

have been designed specifically for

chicken noodle soup.
While you can find some generally
neutral broths at the store, and in a
pinch they are passable, they tend to
be of subpar quality due to the type of
bones and meat that is used for the

broth, which is typically the trimmings

and waste of processed chicken
products like chicken breast. They are
also loaded with salt and can
negatively affect flavorings. Do
yourself a favor and learn to make
your own stocks!

How To Make Homemade Chicken Stock

Recipe
Bones and carcass from one roasted
chicken
2 onions
3-4 stalks of celery
1-2 carrots
2 bay leaves
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
6-8 parsley stems
Optional Extras - whole garlic cloves,
fennel fronds, leek tops, whole pepper
corns
Instructions
1. Use your fingers or kitchen
shears to pull the chicken carcass into
a few pieces that will fit snugly in your
pot.
2. Put the chicken bones in a pot and
cover them with water by about an
inch. Simmer on very low heat for 2-6
hours. You should just see a few
bubbles here and there, a little
movement in the liquid, and bit of
steam over the pot. Add more water if
the bones start to become exposed.
Ideal temperature is between 180
and 190.
3. Peel and roughly chop all of your
veggies. The quantities given above
are approximate, so use what you
have.

4. Skim off any foam or film that has

floated to the top of the stock. This
isn't strictly necessary, but it will make
your stock look and taste more clean.
5. Add the vegetables and herbs. Add
more water if necessary to cover.
Simmer for another hour or two at the
same heat.
6. Strain the stock to separate out the
solid pieces. Discard the solids. (If
you'd like a clearer broth, strain it
again through cheese cloth.)
7. Let the stock cool, then separate
into portion-sized containers.
Refrigerate stock for up to a week or
freeze it indefinitely.
Additional Notes:
Alternatively, you can cover the pot
and put it in a 200 oven. You can
also use a slow cooker on one of its
lowest settings.
We'll say it again: the amount and
kinds of vegetables given above are
just a guideline. Use what you have
and your stock will still be great.
If it fits in your pot, you can cook the
stock inside the pasta strainer insert.
This makes the job of separating the
solids a cinch.

 You can double or triple the recipe

depending on how many chicken
carcasses you have.

This recipe makes roughly 1 quart of

stock.

Basic Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Stock

Vegetable stock is a great way to add flavor to soups, but it can sometimes lack the
deeper aromatic notes of a meat-based stock. One way to bring in some of the
missing savoriness is to roast the stock vegetables before simmering them.

Recipe
1 large yellow onion, skin on,
quartered and stuck with two cloves
6 large mushrooms, halved
2 roma tomatoes, halved
1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, unpeeled
(optional vegetables: leek greens from
one large leek; celery, one or two
stalks, rough chopped; red pepper,
quartered and seeds removed)
1 cup of wine, see notes
grapeseed or other neutral, oil
2 bay leaves
6-8 whole peppercorns
Instruction
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Place the
onion, mushrooms, tomatoes, carrot
and garlic, and any other vegetables,
in a roasting pan. Drizzle with the
grapeseed oil and toss to coat the
vegetables. Place in the oven,
uncovered, and roast for about 45
minutes, stirring occasionally. Watch

the vegetables so they don't char (the

leek greens will be especially
vulnerable.) You are looking for
browning and caramelization, not
burnt. If some of the vegetables start
to char before the others are done,
remove them from the roasting pan.
When the vegetables are done,
remove from oven and scrape into a 4quart sauce pan or Dutch oven. Place
the roasting pan over a burner (or two,
depending on the size of your pan)
and add the wine. Bring to a simmer
and deglaze the pan, scraping up any
stuck bits. Empty the contents of the
roasting pan into the pot with the
vegetables and add 6 cups of water,
the bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring
to a simmer and cook gently for about
1/2 hour or so.
Strain through a cheesecloth-lined
sieve and use as needed.
Notes:
This stock freezes well.

 Use white wine if you want to keep

the stock fairly light in color (it will still
be brown); use red wine for a deeper
hue and slightly deeper flavor.
This recipe can be easily doubled or
tripled, so long as you don't crowd the
roasting pan. Use two pans if needed
to prevent crowding.
I leave the skin on the onions to add

color. You can remove them if you

wish.
If your pocketbook can afford it,
adding fresh shiitake mushrooms at
the roasting stage is a good way to
add more flavor; a few dried
mushrooms at the simmer stage is
nice, too.

How To Make Vegetable Stock

Ingredients
1 to 2 onions
2 to 3 carrots
3 to 4 celery stalks
4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 small bunch parsley
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
Optional Extras: leeks (especially the
green parts), fennel, tomatoes,
mushrooms, mushroom stems, parsnips
Equipment
Sharp knife
Stock pot
Strainer
Cheesecloth or coffee filters (for straining)
Storage containers
Instructions

1. Gather Some Vegetables and

Herbs: Onions, carrots, and celery give
stock a great base flavor, and you can
round these out with any of the other
vegetables listed above. You can also
make stock using any amount of
vegetables that you happen to have onhand, but it's good to have a roughly
equal portion of each so the resulting
stock will have a balanced flavor.
It's nice to add a few herbs to the stock,
but we tend to keep them fairly light.
Parsley does really well, especially the
stems leftover from picking off the tops.
Bay leaf adds a pungent, earthy flavor and
thyme gives a nice woody note.
2. Roughly Chop All The
Vegetables: Wash any visible dirt off the
vegetables and give them a rough chop.
You don't even need to peel them first
unless you really want to. (Some people
even advocate leaving on the onion

skins!) Throw all the vegetables in a pot

big enough to hold them plus a few extra
inches of water.
3. Cover with Water and
Simmer: Cover the vegetables with
enough water that you can easily stir
them in the pot. Less water means that
your stock will be more concentrated;
more water makes a lighter-flavored stock.
Set the pot over medium-high heat and
bring it to just under a boil. Once you start
to see some bubbling around the edges of
the pot and a few wisps of steam on the
surface, turn the heat down to mediumlow.
4. Cook for One Hour or So: This isn't
an exact science, but one hour is generally
enough time to infuse the water with
vegetable goodness. If you need to take it
off the heat a little early or don't get to it
until a little later, it will be fine. Give it a
stir every now and again to circulate the
vegetables.

5. Strain and Store Take the pot off the

stove and remove all the vegetables with
a slotted spoon. Set your strainer over a
big bowl and line it with cheese cloth or
coffee filters. Pour the stock through.
Divide the stock into storage containers,
cool completely, and then freeze.
Additional Notes:
Roasting and Sweating - Two ways to
add more flavor to your broth are to roast
the vegetables beforehand or to let them
sweat (start to soften and release their
liquids) for a few minutes over the heat
before adding the water.
Saving Vegetables for Broth - We
keep a big sealable bag in our freezer
where we can throw vegetable odds and
ends: vegetables that have wilted beyond
saving, the green parts from leeks,
trimmings from carrots, and so on. Once
this bag gets full, we use the contents to
make broth.

Shellfish Stock

Seafood stock is one of those things I

just can't deal with in a can; fresh
is so far superior. If you happen to
have some shrimp, crab or lobster
shells, the process is actually pretty
easy. A fish stock using whole fish
heads can be a bit messier, so I'm
going to recommend you go the
shellfish route. This stock is a great
base for soups and stews and for
cooking risotto. Cook it down as a

base for pasta sauces and sauces to

top other seafood dishes.
Recipe
5 cups shrimp heads and shells (from
about 1 1/2 pounds whole shrimp) or
crushed shells from crab or lobster
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery ribs
1 cup chopped unpeeled carrots

4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

5 springs fresh thyme
5 Italian parsley stems
2 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 quarts boiling water
Salt
Instruction
Rinse the shrimp heads and shells in
cold water and drain.
Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over
medium heat. Add the onions, celery,
carrots, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay
leaves, and peppercorns, and cook,
stirring occasionally, until the onions
are translucent and the other
vegetables soften, about 8 minutes.

Add the shrimp heads and shells, stir,

and let the mixture sizzle for a few
seconds. Add the tomato paste and
wine. Stir once, cover, and cook for
about a minute, shaking the pot once
or twice.
Carefully pour in the water and bring
mixture to a boil, then lower the heat
and simmer, uncovered, skimming the
surface and discarding any foam that
builds up. Simmer over low heat for 45
minutes to an hour, checking for a
deep color and rich seafood flavor. Add
salt if needed toward the end of
cooking.
Cool in an ice-bath and refrigerate or
freeze if not using immediately.

Soup Base Recipe: Parmesan Stock

Recipe
2
3
4
2

onions, peeled and quartered

carrots, in 2-inch pieces
stalks celery, in 2-inch pieces
dried bay leaves

1/2 bunch parsley

1/2 bunch thyme
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 chicken carcass, or a mix of chicken
necks, backs, and wings (optional)

8 medium-sized Parmesan rinds (or

whatever you have on hand)
Instruction
Combine all ingredients in a large
stockpot. Add water to fill. Bring to a
boil over high heat, skim any foam
that comes to the top, and reduce
heat to low. Simmer, partially covered,

skimming the surface as necessary for

at least 4 hours. Top with water
occasionally if necessary. Strain and
season very conservatively with salt.
Cool, and transfer to containers. Store
in the refrigerator for use within 1
week, or in the freezer for use within 6
months.

Ingredients

Quantity

Bone

1.250 gm.

Water

7 lt. 8 lt. (2 lt. 3 lt. simmering time 1

- 2 hrs.)

Mair poix (Veg.)

1 kg. per/lt. 200 gm.

Bouquet
garni (Herb)

50 gm. per /lt. 10 gm.

Types of Stock & method of their preparation

There are two types of stock; white & brown stock. The way of preparing these
stocks are given below.....

White Stock: 5 lt.

Method: follow the guidelines of stock preparation

Ingredients

Quantity

Bone

1.250 gm.

Water

7 lt. 8 lt. (2 lt. 3 lt. simmering time 1

- 2 hrs.)

Mair poix (Veg.)

1 kg. per/lt. 200 gm.

Bouquet
garni(Herb)

50 gm. per /lt. 10 gm.

Brown Stock: 5 lt.

Method
I.

Roast the bone & mair poix to good brown color.

II.

Put all the ingredients together, follow the guideline of stock preparation.

Used :
Bone :- Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Mutton, Fish.
Main Poix :- Carrot, Onion, Cabbage, Turnip, Beans, Cauliflower.
Bouquet Garni :- Celery, Thyme, Oregano, Parsley, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Basil, Bay Leaf,
Cardamom.