Taking Stock: Secret to a good meal is in the base!

 

Every cook needs to be able to make their own stock. Making your own homemade stock is just far better tasting and healthier than the Knorr block or Oxo. Making your own stock is really easy and I personally feel every cook should have a basic recipe.  It forms the basis for many soups, stews, and sauces. There is many varieties from vegetables or a more intense flavour roasted vegetable stock, you can make chicken, beef or even fish stock. To add that extra deepth try using chicken stock to cook your rice instead of water. If the recipes calls for water then try adding your homemade stock instead, it will really give your dish an intense and amazing in depth flavour.  The combination of vegetables for you to use is entirely up to you. 

"There was an Old Man of the North,Who fell into a basin of broth;But a laudable cook,      fished him out with a hook, Which saved that Old Man of the North."Edward Lear(1812-1888)

If you make your own stock you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week, or you can freeze it. Some handy tips on freezing your stock - pour you stock in a 500ml container leaving about 1cm space from the top. Seal, label and  date. Use within 6months.  As freezing loose the intensity of flavours when you are reheating your stock try adding a few herbs or seasoning.

General Tips in making your own stock:

• As mentioned earlier you can go cart blanch with vegetables but don't use strong flavouring vegetables like asparagus, brusslesprouts, broccoli or cauliflower.
  
• You can keep an onion whole with the skin on (it will be strained anyway) as this adds awesome colour. Try even studding the whole onion with a few cloves
  
• Your vegetables needs to be cleaned even if they are being peeled.
  
• If making a vegetable stock do not let it simmer for more than an 1 hour as it will become bitter. We don't want a bitter stock. If you are looking for that really intense concentrated stock then strain and then continue to cook for another 30 minutes (the liquid will reduce and making it more richer)