Making Good Stock -thoughts?

[phatmanace]

Folks - does anyone have any tips on how to make a decent stock.

My basic method is to roast chicken wings. Then add with carrots, bay leaves, pepper and salt to some water and then cook in a pressure cooker for an hour or so.

it's not bad, but always tastes a little bit bland - I'm sure I'm missing something key to making a really belting stock, does anyone have any secrets they can share?

-ACe

[randlemarcus]

Perhaps an onion or two, then reduce to taste?

[RealSquirrels]

celery too

[phatmanace]

I forgot to say, I normally do onion and celery.

I went on a cooking course recently and we did paella. The stock they had pre-made for us to use was amazing.... I realized then how far away the stock that I have been making is.

[Pferdestarke]

I've tried many times. I can't get anywhere near shop bought cubes, powders, granules and gels.

It makes your kitchen smell due to all the evaporation and you're left with something lacking depth of flavour.

Try m&s pastes. They'll save you a lot of hassle.

[Tumbler]

How far are you reducing it?

[peter tdci]

If you search for Heston Blumenthal and chicken stock, you'll find plenty of ideas for variations. He advocates pressure cookers as well.

I use raw chicken carcasses and pressure cook them just with water for about 45 minutes. Then I add diced carrot, onion and celery (and maybe some peppercorns, garlic, herbs etc) and cook for another 30 mins. The resultant stock doesn't taste very strong, but it's a good background in other dishes.

In HB's last TV series he tried to make some really 'chickeny' stock and roasted some wings with milk powder

http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/heston...

[dazco]

As someone above said, if the flavour is not there simply reduce it.

[BoRED S2upid]

Why are you using the pressure cooker? just use a pan and the stock will be reducing while adding flavour. I once saw one of these cooking programmes when they were making beef stock with kilos of beef bones and pints of red wine all reduced to make a tiny amount of stock, bet it tasted good.

[dazco]

BoRED S2upid said:

Why are you using the pressure cooker? just use a pan and the stock will be reducing while adding flavour. I once saw one of these cooking programmes when they were making beef stock with kilos of beef bones and pints of red wine all reduced to make a tiny amount of stock, bet it tasted good.

Might it have been calves bones?

[Bill]

A pressure cooker doesn't allow any evaporation, so no wonder it's bland.

I put two roast chicken carcasses (freeze the bones until you have enough) in a stock pot, add a couple of onions, carrots, peeled garlic cloves, peppercorns and bay leaves, cover with water then simmer for two hours or so. Then strain through muslin and boil in a clean pan until reduced by half. That should produce a litre of very good stock.

[ali_kat]

What Bill said

I use pretty much the same method & stuff (I add a spot of chilli & cardomen, Cumin etc depending on my plans for it!)

[Fane]

Watching Masterchef a few years back, I saw MRJ stud an onion with cloves whilst making stock, so I do that now. NFI why, but it looks cool.

ETA - I throw 6 black peppercorns in too.

Edited by Fane on Friday 16th November 12:37

[AtticusFinch]

phatmanace said:

I forgot to say, I normally do onion and celery.

I went on a cooking course recently and we did paella. The stock they had pre-made for us to use was amazing.... I realized then how far away the stock that I have been making is.

I use a tin of anchoveys in my paella, doesn't need stock then just water.

Stock I've been doing in a slow cooker (about the only sensible use I have for it)

[indi pearl]

Exactly what Bill and ali kat say.
For beef stock save up all the trimmings from joints and steaks in a plastic bag in the freezer untill you have a pound or more then treat the same with chopped fine carrot, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper and salt. Reduce over open heat for at least 2 hours. Strain, cool, skim off hardened surface fat (keep for adding to home made steak beefburgers) and freeze in ice cube trays.