With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the turkey isn’t the only thing to consider.

You may find yourself having an “AH HA” moment when you switch to homemade stock, thinking something like “this is what it is SUPPPOSED to taste like!”  

You will find that you can create a richer, deeper and more flavorful stock right in your own kitchen, better than anything coming out of a can, carton, or “old school” cube. 

 Auguste Escoffier, the Father of Modern Cookery stated back at the turn of the century:

“Indeed, stock is everything in cooking…”  

And this comes from someone who at 19 was working at the Moulin Rouge in Paris.  

This is considered such an important skill that:

students at the Culinary Institute of America spend 28 days learning the finer points of stock making.

However, we will try to boil it down for you. (Pardon the pun).  Follow these steps and you will be following in the footsteps of all great chefs!

Begin with TOP QUALITY ingredients: (Pasture Prime Turkeys and Chickens would fit this bill)

MEATY BONES – necks & backs have more collagen than other parts.  

Wings are also flavor making powerhouses, easy and economical.  The collagen will convert to gelatin during cooking giving stock its rich & full bodied flavor.

MAYBE A BIT MEATIER THAN THIS!!                                                Either of these below will work:

 

 

 

 

 

RINSE bones well for clear stock

Fresh AROMATICS; vegetables, well washed, peeled and cubed (cuts don’t need to be precise).  

RATIO: 2 Parts Onion/1 Part Carrot/1 Part Celery  This combination of vegetables is called mirepoix (your French word of the day.)  (These are added toward the end of cooking.) 

COLD WATER to start (warm or hot water will result in cloudy stock)

SPICES & HERBS; bay leaf, parsley stems, thyme, peppercorns

…can be wrapped in small piece of cheesecloth enabling you to remove.  This is called sachet d’epices (your second French word of the day…you are almost ready for your trip to France)

SALT –  small amount added at the start helps to extract proteins from the bones & juices from the veggies.

PROCEDURE:                                                                                                                                         

Cover bones by 2-3 inches in a tall pot.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a gentle simmer, as quickly as possible, and simmer for 3-5 hours.  Add the mirepoix  and the spices to the stock during the LAST HOUR of cooking. You will notice this will now fill your kitchen with a heavenly smell!!

Do not stir.  Gently skim off any foam.

REST stock for 10 minutes, allowing floating particles to settle.

LADLE out bones & veggies with slotted spoon or skimmer.

STRAIN remaining stock through a fine strainer, cheesecloth or coffee filter.  Great stock will be clear or light golden.  Excess fat can be removed when stock is cold.

CHILL quickly to lock in flavor

STORE covered and labeled in refrigerator for a week or in freezer for several months.

YOU HAVE CREATED LIQUID GOLD – Not only saving you money but creating a superior and praiseworthy product!!

 

 

 

 

 

We are looking forward to you joining us for our 5K FARM-RUN and FEAST on November 8.  Register now and receive your official Race Hat.

The Siversons