how thick to make stock?

[petemurphy]

so am boiling up some bones etc but one thing with stock i never know is how thick you're supposed to make it - ie how much water do you want in it? how to tell?

[Boo152]

petemurphy said:

so am boiling up some bones etc but one thing with stock i never know is how thick you're supposed to make it - ie how much water do you want in it? how to tell?

By tasting it.

[petemurphy]

Boo152 said:

By tasting it.

hmm again how concentrated should it taste / be

[Melman Giraffe]

If making beef stock for example add enough water to cover the bones. Sounds to simple 'yes' Works every time for me

[Boo152]

petemurphy said:

so am boiling up some bones etc but one thing with stock i never know is how thick you're supposed to make it - ie how much water do you want in it? how to tell?

By tasting it.

[sherman]

Stock should be about double cream consistancy in my opinon. The taste should also be strong enough that it feels like it should jump out of the pan and smack you round the chops before going back in the pan.

[Melman Giraffe]

sherman said:

Stock should be about double cream consistancy in my opinon. The taste should also be strong enough that it feels like it should jump out of the pan and smack you round the chops before going back in the pan.

Its stock not Jus

[Digger]

Some of the ready-made stock you can buy in supermarkets (Waitrose-own in one case) can be very watery and bordering on tasteless!

[Mobile Chicane]

Digger said:

Some of the ready-made stock you can buy in supermarkets (Waitrose-own in one case) can be very watery and bordering on tasteless!

True dat.

And criminal to buy when it's piss-easy to make your own.

The secret is to include all of the scraps / crispy wing tips in the roasting pan when roasting said beast you're intending making stock from.

I keep left-over chicken / game carcasses in the freezer until I've got enough to make stock. (Four or so.)

These are then roasted, and go into a pot with a celery stick, a carrot, and a an unpeeled banana shallot / small onion (trim the roots off the base).

Simmer all that lot, with water to cover the carcassses for an hour, then cool.

Now for the important bit: the clarifying process. I strain the stock through kitchen towels in a colander. (Heston puts his in the freezer first.)

Once you have clarified stock, you can reduce it as much as you want and it will still taste good once reconstituted. Don't clarify it properly, and it will taste chalky.

I personally reduce it to the consistency of thin gravy, then freeze it in ice cube trays. It can be used as is for a jus, or made up with water for whatever you're making.

[Halmyre]

Mobile Chicane said:

Digger said:

Some of the ready-made stock you can buy in supermarkets (Waitrose-own in one case) can be very watery and bordering on tasteless!

True dat.

And criminal to buy when it's piss-easy to make your own.

The secret is to include all of the scraps / crispy wing tips in the roasting pan when roasting said beast you're intending making stock from.

I keep left-over chicken / game carcasses in the freezer until I've got enough to make stock. (Four or so.)

These are then roasted, and go into a pot with a celery stick, a carrot, and a an unpeeled banana shallot / small onion (trim the roots off the base).

Simmer all that lot, with water to cover the carcassses for an hour, then cool.

Only an hour? I'd think that with all those carcases you'd need at least three hours.