StocksChapter 23

Pages 372-385

Objectives• Summarize the role of various ingredients in

the production of stock.

• Recall the attributes of a well-made stock.

• Understand bouillons and broths and their uses.

• Explain how vegetable stocks are made and how they differ from classic meat-based stocks.

• Compare bases and stocks.

Terminology• Stock

• Fumet

• Gelatin

• Mouthfeel

• Collagen

• Reduce

• Sachet

• Boutquet garni

• White stock

• Brown stock

• Blanching

• Deglaze

• Bouillon

• Broth

• Base

Stocks• A highly flavored liquid made by simmering

bones with vegetables, herbs, and spices

• Adds depth of flavor and color to a wide variety of dishes

• Without a well-made stock it is difficult to produce high-quality cuisine

• Considered one of the building blocks of cooking

Dishes that use Stock• Soups

• Sauces

• Gravies

• Braised meat and vegetables

• Rice, grain, and potato preparations

Basic Stock Ingredients• Nutritive

• Aromatic

• Liquid

Nutritive Ingredients• Bones are the most important ingredient

• Contributes the predominant flavors to stock

• Meat can also be added with the bones to intensify the flavor

• Bones add body to the stock Bones produce gelatin- an animal protein that

when dissolved in a hot liquid adds to a rich mouthfeel

Aromatic Ingredients• One ingredient that is not added to stock is

salt- if was it could not be used for such a wide range of preparations

• Stocks can be reduced to improve and strengthen flavor- if they were salted it would become too salty

Vegetables• Mirepoix

2 parts onion, 1 part celery, and 1 part carrot

• White mirepoix 2 part onion, 1 part celery, and 1 part leek

• The longer a stock cooks the larger the mirepoix can be

• In general 1 pound of mirepoix is added for every 10 pounds of bones

• Mushrooms and tomatoes are also sometimes added to improve flavor

Vegetables’ Contributions to Stock Flavor

Vegetable Flavor

Onion, raw strong pungent flavor, especially if the stock is not simmered for a long time

Onion, sautéed, roasted, or caramelized

Sweetness

Carrot Sweetness and a touch of earthiness, also adds an orange hue to the stock

Tomato, fresh Acidity and a fresh tomato flavor

Tomato, cooked, canned, or paste

Acidity and a deep tomato sauce flavor, as well as, adding a red color to the stock

Mushrooms, raw Delicate flavor

Mushrooms, sautéed or roasted

Intense meaty flavor and deepens the color of the stock

Celery Freshness

Herbs and Spices• Most stocks are flavored with 3 herbs (thyme,

bay leaf, and parsley) and 1 spice (black peppercorns)

• Add in the form of a sachet or bouquet garni Sachet (sa SHAY)

Small cheese-cloth bag containing herbs and spices Bouquet garni (boo KAY gar NEE)

Bundle of fresh herbs tied to a piece of vegetable Also need a sachet for the peppercorns

Liquid• Most are simmered in water

• Some use a small amount of wine with water Adds acidity Brightens the stock’s flavor and improves overall

clarity

• How much liquid is added depends on the amount of bones

• Rule of thumb is bones should be covered by one to two inches of water

• In general one pound of bones yields 2 cups of finished stock

Attributes of a Well Made Stock• Color

Fish are valued for light, almost transparent stock Chicken should have a rich golden hue Beef or veal are characterized by a brown color

• Clarity Should be clear Shouldn’t be cloudy, murky, or muddy

Attributes of a Well Made Stock• Flavor

Has intense flavor that mirrors the nutritive and aromatic ingredients used to make the stock

• Body Refer to the amount of gelatin in a stock Should be as gelatin-rich as possible Many stocks partially solidify when cooled

Stock Preparation• White stock

Made from raw or slightly cooked bones and white mirepoix

Should have a light pale to deep golden color

• Brown stock

White Stock Made from raw or slightly cooked bones and white

mirepoix Should have a light pale to deep golden color

• Commonly made using poultry, fish, or veal bones Chicken bones

Rinsed in cold water to remove excess blood Fish bones

Coarsely chopped then rinsed Large bones

Cut into 2-3 inch long pieces

White Stock Preparation• Bones are blanched before using when making

a white stock Refers to the process of placing bones in cold

water, bringing water to a boil, and then discarding water

Produces a clear stock since most impurities are discarded with the blanched water

Also removes some of the bones’ flavor Only large bones can be blanched because of this

Brown Stock Made from roasted bones and roasted or sautéed

mirepoix Noted for rich roasted flavor and caramel color

• Can be made from all bones except fish

• Made from well-roasted nutritive ingredients and vegetables

• While the stock simmers, the roasted ingredients release their brown color and roasted flavor to the stock

• The roasted bones leave some of their flavor behind in the pan

Deglazing a Brown Stock• To capture the flavor, the roasting pan is

deglazed The liquid is added to a roasting pan to dissolve

the browned bits off the bottom and the liquid is then added to the stock

Greatly improves the flavor and color If the bottom of the roasting pan burns the pan

should not be deglazed Deepens the color of the stock but also makes it bitter

Storing Stock• Properly chilled stocks have a shelf life

of 5 days

• Refrigerator must be below 41° and the stock is well covered

• If stocks need to be stored for longer periods of time they can be frozen

Checking Quality• Stock is high in protein, low in salt, high in

moisture, and close to a pH of 7

• Makes for a perfect breading ground for microorganisms

• Always inspect a stock’s appearance and odor before using it

• Signs that the stock has spoiled are as follows: Offensive smell Cloudy appearance Ropy or stringy texture Bubbles rinsing to the surface

Stock ErrorsSymptom CauseCloudy stock • Stock improperly or never skimmed

• Stock boiled instead of skimmed• Nutritive ingredients were first covered in hot water

instead of cold water• Bones not blanched for a white stock

No flavor • Stock not covered long enough• Too much water added to the stock ingredients

Little body • Too much water added to the stock ingredients• Stock not cooked long enough• Bones with little collagen were used

Pale-colored brown stock

• Nutritive ingredients not roasted enough• Too much water was added to the stock ingredients

Stock has spoiled • Stock was not chilled properly• Stock stored in cooler too long

Bouillons and Broths• Stock-like preparations that are made with a

larger proportion of meat than bone and a greater variety of vegetables than stocks

• Are clearer and contain less gelatin due to lack of bones

• Classically reserved for soup preparation

• However, many restaurants use stocks because bouillons and broths are more expensive

Vegetable Stock• Technically, they are not true stock but they are not made

from bones

• Can be prepared in endless ways because they are so many different types of vegetables

• For white stocks vegetables are raw; for brown stocks are roasted

• Differ from meat-based stocks in that vegetables have no gelatin So stocks lack mouthfeel and do not solidify when chilled

Bases• Concentrated instant powder or paste that dissolves in hot

water to make a stock-like liquid

• Saves stove space

• Takes much less time to make- lower labor cost and free cooks up to do other tasks

• Don’t have the same taste as stock from scratch

• Contains a lot of salt

• Vary considerably in quality

• Ones that require refrigeration are better

• Bases that list salt, sugar, and fat as main ingredients are lower in quality

White StockVegetable

StockBroth/BouillonBrown Stock

Water

Bouquet garni and/or sachet

Possibly tomato product

Brown mirepoix

Raw or blanched

bones

White wine for fish stock only

Possibly wine

Meat with a smaller amount

of bones

Browned bones

Raw or sweated white

mirepoix

Raw, sweated, or browned

mirepoix, plus additional vegetables

Raw, sweated, or browned

mirepoix, plus additional vegetables

Tomato product