I thought this month I would do something different. I've decided that we need a rest from theorising about food and get down to some practical applications. It's time for a cooking class.

The Beauty of Stock

I was making a stock the other day and as I placed all the ingredients into the pot I couldn't help think how like a craft it felt. The whole process was like a construction, physically placing things together with my hands. And even though the finished product was quite chaotic it had a beauty and charm that couldn't be denied.

We tend to think of craft as the practical arts, and as I mentioned last time crafts like woodwork or needlepoint create pieces that are not only pleasing to the eye but can be used in day-to-day life. For me there is nothing more practical in the kitchen than a good stock.

Stock is the backbone of a great meal, particularly things like risotto, soup, stew and sauces. I use stock as much as possible. Any time you would add water to a dish why not add a little stock instead to enhance the flavour. There are some good ready-made stocks on the market these days but making your own is always better. I know it takes time but the great thing is you can make it in advance and keep it in the fridge or freezer. I love making it; I get that alchemical feeling from watching simple ingredients come together to make something wonderful.

Getting Practical

Let's start with a basic chicken stock. You can use this stock for most dishes as it has a simple but rich flavour.

I would ideally use chicken carcasses; sometimes I debone a whole chook and other times I will buy the bones from the butcher or deli. If you can't get bones I have used wings before. The wings are a good alternative but you must cut through to the bone to get maximum flavour. Also the wings will produce more fat, but this can be skimmed off at the end.

The size of the pot will determine the amount of stock you will have, so the bigger the better. My recipe is based on my pot at home (approx. 5L) so adjust your recipe depending on your pot size. It isn't too important to have exact amounts, whatever you have will do.

Recipe: Basic Chicken Stock

2-3 chicken carcasses (8-10 wings)

3 carrots

4 celery stalks

2 onions quartered

2 dried bay leaves

1 tsp whole peppercorns

1 tbsp oil

Heat your stock pot on high and add the oil. When the oil is hot add the chicken bones to brown. Brown in batches to prevent overcrowding. The colour of the bones will determine the colour of the stock, so if you want a lighter stock just brown lightly, for a darker richer stock brown off for longer. You can also roast the bones but I find doing it in the pot keeps all the flavours in the one vessel.

Once the bones are done add them all back to the pot along with vegetables, bay leaves and peppercorns. Add cold water almost to the top of the pot and bring to the boil. Be careful not to let it boil vigorously, turn it to a low simmer just as it's about to boil. Boiling will break up the ingredients and make a murky stock.

Simmer on low at least 30mins or up to an hour depending on how much time you have. Take off the heat and let sit for 5mins. Gently lift out chicken and vegetables and discard. Strain the liquid through a sieve or cheesecloth if you have it.

If you aren't using the stock straight away transfer to containers for storing in the fridge or freezer. Let it cool slightly before putting it in fridge/freezer. Stock can be kept in the fridge for 3-5 days. When you come to use the stock again bring it to the boil in a pot before using to ensure you have killed any bacteria.

Tips and Hints

Some people say you should skim of the foamy scum that comes to the top, and yet others say you lose some of the flavour when you get rid of the scum. Feel free to make up your own mind on this point. I used to remove it but I leave it now for extra flavour.

The stock will have a layer of fat on the top when it is done. You can either skim it off once the stock is done, or you can put it in the fridge and wait till it's solidified. Don't be afraid of a little fat, it's natural and adds flavour.

You can also vary this stock by adding fresh herbs to impart a certain flavour. For example if I wanted to use my stock for a risotto and I wanted to have a lemon thyme flavour in the final dish I would add some lemon thyme to the stock as well as to the risotto. The key to adding fresh herbs to a stock is to only have them in the pot for the last 5-10 mins of cooking. Any longer than that and they will become bitter, also the flavour loses its freshness once the herbs have "died" in the stock.

I would suggest herbs like: thyme, lemon thyme, parsley, marjoram, coriander. Whereas I find rosemary is too strong to flavour the stock with and works better in the main dish.

You can also flavour your stock with different vegetables. Whilst I always use carrot, celery and onion as the base of all my stocks you can also use: fennel, parsnip, pumpkin, leek and even garlic. I would never use potato as it has no flavour and too much starch, or tomato which is too acidic.

Don't be afraid to use scraps as long as they are fresh. Instead of using the whole celery, just use the butt and some of the larger outside stems. Use the ends of the carrot, the stalks of the fennel, the outside layers of the leek and the pumpkin skin. This method is more cost effective as you can keep the main part of the vegetables for your dishes. If you are making stock on a regular basis keep a container of your stock scraps in the fridge until you have enough. Of course discard them if they aren't fresh enough.

Don't use the leaves of the celery as they are bitter. I also usually discard the first couple of layers of the onion. I don't tend to use vegetable peelings as they break down easily and make the stock murky.

Any Questions?

Please feel free to write in with any questions you have about stock and I'll do my best to answer them. Just send your questions via the "log in to post a comment" link below.

Next month I'll look at master stocks.