8.

Methods in preparing stocks

ABOUT STOCKS

Stocks are flavorful liquids used in the preparation of soups, sauces, and
stews, derived by gently simmering various ingredients in water.

They are based on

Meat

Poultry

Fish
or seafood

and flavored with mirepoix, herbs, and spices.

Vegetable stocks are prepared with an assortment of produce, or

intensely flavored with a single ingredient, such as mushrooms,
tomatoes, or leeks.

BASIC INGREDIENTS
Stocks are prepared with a few basic ingredients including bones,
mirepoix, herbs and spices, and sometimes tomatoes or wine. They are
often prepared using leftover ingredients as a cost-effective measure for
the kitchen.

COOKING A STOCK

Stocks are gently simmered, never boiled, to extract their flavors. They
must be started in cold water to gently open and release impurities,
caused by proteins in the meat and bones to rise to the top and be easily
skimmed from the surface. The bones are sometimes roasted with the
mirepoix for a robust flavor or blanched in water and rinsed for a clearer
and lighter stock.

COOKING TIME
There is much debate over how long a stock should cook to extract the
greatest amount of flavor. The general wisdom is that fish and vegetable
stocks take about 45 minutes to one hour.

REMOUILLAGE
A remouillage is a second wetting of the stock pot. After the stock is
cooked and strained, rewet the bones with fresh water, and cook a
second time. Add mirepoix and a fresh sachet to the second wetting to
enhance the flavor.

GLACE AND REDUCTIONS

Finished stocks can be further cooked to concentrate their flavors and

increase viscosity. A glace or glaze is the reduction of a stock by 75% or
more to a syrup consistency. These reductions can be used for sauces
or as a natural soup base.