Cookbook:Broth and Stock
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| Category | Basic foodstuffs |
Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages | Ingredients
Broths and stocks are preparations made by cooking meat products and/or vegetables in water to make a flavorful liquid.
Characteristics
[edit | edit source]Varieties and terminology
[edit | edit source]Stock and broth are similar,[1][2] and the two terms may be used interchangeably by many.[3][4] In fact, vegetable/fish broths and stocks are almost identical in terms of ingredients and methodology.[5] Technically, however, there is in fact a difference between a broth and a stock, and other specific nomenclature may be used.
Stock is a full-bodied liquid made by simmering bones and vegetables in liquid for a long time.[1][4] Because it is made from bones and connective tissue, it has a high gelatin content.[1] Often, stock is thought of as an ingredient for use in other preparations,[4][6] and all-purpose stocks will therefore usually not have much in the way of complex flavoring.[1] It is rarely salted for the same reason.[4]
In contrast to stock, broth is typically characterized by shorter cooking times and stronger flavors.[1] Rather than use bones, broth will use meat for its higher flavor content,[1][2][6] and you can make a particularly flavorful and strong-bodied broth by using stock instead of water as the cooking liquid.[1][2] It is typically considered a final product and is therefore fully seasoned.[3][4][7]
A consommé is a strong broth or stock that has been clarified to make it extremely clear.[1][2][5] A court bouillon (literally "short broth") is a flavorful poaching liquid made by cooking vegetables and aromatics in water along with a flavorful acidic liquid like wine or vinegar.[2] A fumet is a particularly flavorful fish broth, often made with wine and other acids like lemon.[1][2]
Brown vs. white
[edit | edit source]Beyond the above terminology, stocks may be further characterized as either brown or white. Brown stocks are made by roasting the components before simmering in order to develop a complex savory flavor and brown color from maillard browning.[1][2][7][8] They may also sometimes incorporate tomato. In contrast, white stocks incorporate no browned ingredients and are much paler and milder as a result.[1][2]
Key characteristics
[edit | edit source]The flavor and color of a given broth or stock will depend on the selected ingredients, their ratios, and the methods used to prepare them.[2] For example, brown stocks will be darker in color for the previously described reasons. Yellow onion skins and carrots can give a golden hue,[1] and tomato adds a dark rusty color. Light vegetables contribute very little color.[2] Appearance-wise, broths and stocks may be cloudy or clear.[1][2] They are also described in terms of "body"—high body reflects a sort of richness in texture that comes from dissolved and melted gelatin from meat connective tissue in the liquid.[1][2] Vegetable stocks have a very thin body as a result,[1][2] and seafood stocks tend to have only a medium body due to the weakness of fish gelatin.[1]
Selection and storage
[edit | edit source]When deciding what kind of broth or stock to use in a dish, consider the end-result you are hoping for, and select accordingly (see techniques below).[5] The following characteristics are reflective of the highest quality broths and stocks in most circumstances:[2]
- Color: pale to golden if white broth/stck; rich brown if brown[1]
- Clarity: very clear (attractive and extends shelf life)[1][5]
- Body: full-bodied if meat broth/stock
- Flavor/aroma: reflecting the primary ingredient (e.g. meat; vegetable) and properly balanced;[1] not pungent, bitter, harsh, or sour;[1][5] aromatic and well-seasoned if broth[5]
- Other: not excessively greasy[1]
Note that even the best commercially available broth/stock concentrates will not be better than a high-quality fresh broth/stock. They are also often high in salt, which may not be desirable.
Fresh stock will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator, and frozen stock will keep for several months.[2][7] Shelf-stable commercial broths and stocks will keep for a long time at room temperature.
Techniques
[edit | edit source]Ingredient selection
[edit | edit source]The base of broths and stocks are vegetables and/or meat/seafood, combined in various proportions as desired with liquid. If you don't know where to start, try approximately equal weights of solids and liquids, with 80% of the solids being bones/meat (if applicable) and 20% vegetables/aromatics.[1][9] Adjust the ratios and add/remove components as desired to optimize for your particular requirements.
Vegetables
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Celery, carrot, and onion are a classic combination in traditional Western broths and stocks—this is referred to as a mirepoix, and a basic ratio is 2:1:1 of onion, carrot, and celery, by weight.[2] When very little color is desired, a white mirepoix with pigment-poor vegetables is used.[1][2] It is generally best to avoid strongly flavored vegetables like brassicas and bitter greens, which tend to be overpowering and suffer from the extended cooking times required.[2][5] Starchy vegetables will contribute little flavor-wise and will make the liquid cloudy.[2] About 750 grams/26 ounces of vegetables per liter of stock should suffice. Some recommend saving vegetable scraps for stock instead of discarding them; however, you should make sure that any scraps saved are clean, high-quality, and appropriate for the stock.[1]
| Vegetable | Contribution | Notes and Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Celery (stalk) | Herbal, grassy notes | Try subbing in celery root in white mirepoix.[1] |
| Carrot | Sweetness and golden color[9] | Try subbing in parsnip in white mirepoix for similar sweetness without the color.[1][2] |
| Onion | Sweetness, aroma[9] | Including yellow onion peels helps color the liquid. |
| Leek | Aroma | Often included in white mirepoix[1] |
| Parsnip | Sweetness[1] | |
| Mushroom | Savory, earthy flavor[7] | |
| Tomato | Acidity, red-brown color | Usually only suitable for brown stocks/broths; excess can add cloudiness[1] |
Bones and meat
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Though vegetables also play a role, bones are the stars of meat and seafood stocks. With most meat stocks, you're looking to build a high gelatin content, so you want high-collagen bones and connective tissue.[2] Thigh and shin bones are good choices in this respect, along with their associated joints plus neck and back bones.[5][10] Calf and pig feet are also good options.[10] Bones from younger animals like veal also tend to yield higher gelatin content.[2][5] Because the bones themselves don't yield a good flavor, you'll typically want to use meaty bones or to include some ground meat for a better flavor.[5][7] When making fish stock, choose bones from lean white fish, since other varieties tend to have an overly strong yet volatile flavor and aroma.[1][2][5]
Meat flesh itself is key for meat broths and to a certain extent for broths, as mentioned above. For these, use the most flavorful cuts of meat from the leg, neck, and shoulder.[2] Older animals also have more flavorful meat.[2] As with stock, most fish broths use lean, white fish.
Herbs, spices, and aromatics
[edit | edit source]For stocks, you usually want to keep complex flavors to a minimum, especially if you hope for them to be multipurpose.[11] Since broths are much closer to the final product, they can be more complexly flavored with herbs, spices, and aromatics. In Western cuisine, whole garlic, peppercorn, bay leaf, parsley, and bouquet garni are common flavors.[2][5] Lemongrass and ginger are other potential aromatics. Star anise and cinnamon are common in Vietnamese pho broths.
Some broths may contain additional components like wine, lemon, or tomato products.[2] These all add complex flavor notes along with acidity.[1][9]
Cooking liquid
[edit | edit source]The simplest and most common cooking liquid when making broths and stocks is plain fresh water. However, you can also use stock or remouillage (see below) to make a fresh pot of stock or broth.[9] This will intensify the flavor, and doing so causes the broth or stock to be considered "double".[5][9]
Ingredient preparation
[edit | edit source]Size
[edit | edit source]To prepare large bones for stock, saw them into pieces about 3–4 inches (8–10 cm) long to give them more surface area for flavor and gelatin release.[2][4][5] When preparing the mirepoix, it's important to consider how long the broth/stock will be cooking. The smaller the cut, the faster the vegetables will cook, release their flavors, and disintegrate.[7] When preparing a short-cooking broth/stock like seafood, you want to take advantage of this and cut the mirepoix in ½-inch (1 cm) chunks for the approximately 1-hour cook.[2][5] For longer cook times (as for beef stock), 1–2-inch (3–5 cm) chunks are better.[1]
Cleaning
[edit | edit source]Vegetables should be cleaned of dirt, though they may not need to be peeled. For example, yellow onion skins can be left on to add a golden color to a stock, and it's usually fine to leave carrots unpeeled.[2] Unless browning them later, rinse bones to remove excess blood.[5][9] Similarly, rinse fish carcasses to remove blood, scales, etc, and make sure to discard the gills.[2][9] With bigger mammal bones like beef and pork, it's a good idea to precook the bones by either blanching or browning to help clean them further (see below).[7]
Blanching
[edit | edit source]Mammal bones to be used in white stocks may be blanched. This entails placing them in a pot of cold water and bringing it to a full boil before draining and rinsing them.[7][9] This process helps remove initial surface impurities in a way that prevents them from becoming incorporated into the stock and making it cloudy.[9] Some cooks feel that this step is essential, while others disagree.[1][2] Do not blanch fish bones.[1][2]
Browning
[edit | edit source]With brown stocks, the browning step both cleans the bones and develops flavor.[5][7] This can be applied to poultry and mammals. Roast the bones in a pan at 375°F/190°C, stirring, for about an hour until browned but not burned.[2] Washing or blanching the bones before roasting is not recommended, since this will slow the browning process.[2] If desired, you can roast the mirepoix along with the bones,[2] though note that they may take less time to brown.[1] Try to drain away any excess fat that results from the browning process,[2] since in many cases you'll want to remove that from the finished broth/stock later.
Sweating
[edit | edit source]In some cases, such as when making a fish stock, the solid ingredients are sweated before adding the liquid.[1][2][7] Here, browning is not desired.
Cooking
[edit | edit source]Temperature
[edit | edit source]The general recommendation when making stock or broth is to start the solids in cool liquid.[2][7] This is especially important for clarity. Many proteins are soluble in water at cooler temperatures, and they begin to dissolve from the solid ingredients into the liquid.[8] As the liquid gradually heats up, these solubilized proteins in turn gradually coagulate and aggregate together into larger clumps that either rise to the surface or settle to the bottom.[1][2][9] If, however, the solids are started in hot water, these proteins immediately coagulate into small particles that stay suspended in the liquid and cloud it.[1][2][8][9]
Even once the pot has fully heated, it is important to regulate the temperature so that it never reaches a boil, instead staying around a simmer (~185°F / 85°C).[2] The general consensus is that even a short period of boiling disturbs the solids enough to cause the particles to be reincorporated into the liquid and cloud it.[1][2][5] Some cooks go so far as to say that the pot should never even simmer, instead resting around 170–180°F to maximally prevent agitation, solid disintegration, and oxidation.[7] Note that covering your pot will reduce evaporation but will often cause the liquid inside to boil without you realizing.
Skimming
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As the liquid cooks, scum will collect at the surface. Use a spider or spoon to regularly skim this off and discard it.[2][7] If you leave it to accumulate for too long, you run the risk of it working its way back into the soup and making it cloudy.[2][8] Avoid disturbing the solids while removing the scum.[5]
Duration
[edit | edit source]The length of time needed to cook the broth or stock will depend on a few factors. Different animal bones have different compositions and take variable amounts of time to release flavor and gelatin.[2] Older animals tend to have stronger tissue that is harder to break down.[9] Seafood broth and stock cook the fastest, in a little under an hour.[2][9] Vegetable stocks are next, coming in around an hour; chicken and younger mammal (e.g. veal) stocks take a couple hours; and older mammal stocks are the longest.[2][7][8][9]
Note that it is indeed possible to overcook broths and stocks, even long-cooking ones like beef. Overcooking the vegetables eventually causes them to disintegrate and cloud the liquid.[7] Overcooking fish bones does a similar thing, as the bones disintegrate and make the liquid chalky from calcium salts.[9] When extracting gelatin from connective tissue, there comes a point where you pass peak extraction, and the gelatin ultimately starts to break down with too much cooking beyond this point.[9] And, overcooking past maximum flavor extraction similarly leads to breakdown of volatile and delicate flavors from the vegetables and seasonings.[5][8] As a result, make sure you are checking and tasting the broth/stock as you go,[5] and add ingredients at the correct times. For example, add a mirepoix two hours or less before the end of cooking (depending on how small it has been cut),[5] and add herbs and spices in the last hour.[5][7]
If the water level dips below the solids due to evaporation, make sure to top it up—exposed bones can discolor a light stock.[2][8]
Straining
[edit | edit source]Once finished, the liquid must be separated from the solids with as little disturbance as possible.[2] Some specialized stock pots have spigots at the bottom that allow easy drainage.[2] Without these, the best approach is to use a large ladle to carefully scoop out the liquid, carefully lifting the larger pieces out as necessary to facilitate this.[5] Next, strain the liquid through a fine strainer, then through a moistened cloth.[2][5][7]
After straining, cool the broth/stock as fast as possible and store, since it is a great growth medium for bacteria.
Remouillage
[edit | edit source]A remouillage (literally "rewetting") is when a cook reuses bones from a fresh batch of stock to make a second batch.[1][2] It will not be as flavorful as the first batch, but it is a good way to extract the maximum flavor from your bones.[1][2] This remouillage can then be used to make a broth or with fresh bones to make an extra-flavorful stock.[1][2][9]
Defatting
[edit | edit source]Broths and stocks are often defatted. This is most easily done by chilling the liquid, whereupon the fat will congeal at the surface and can be easily separated out.[7][9] If you don't have time to chill it, use a paper towel to blot the surface, or use a fat separator.
Clarification
[edit | edit source]In some cases, you may want to prepare a crystal-clear broth or stock, which can often only be done by deliberate clarification. In this process, a mixture (called a clearmeat) is prepared that contains egg white, lean ground meat, fine mirepoix, and sometimes an acidic ingredient like tomato or wine.[2][5][9] The best meat to use is shank meat, which is low in fat, high in collagen, and high in flavor.[1] Fish may be used for fish stock, or it may be omitted to leave only egg whites.[1] However, omitting flesh altogether can cause some flavor and gelatin to be removed with the egg white.[9] The mirepoix must be cut small enough to float in the raft.[1] The acidic component is said to help with coagulation and add flavor.[1][5]
This cold clearmeat is stirred into a pot of cold broth/stock and started on the stove.[5] For the first part, the mixture is regularly and gently stirred to prevent scorching;[5] however, between 120 and 145°F (48 and 63°C), the proteins in the egg and meat begin to coagulate and rise to the surface, where they form a raft.[2][5][9] Stop stirring around this point to allow the raft to form.[5] Keep the mixture at a very bare simmer, and allow the mixture to cook, gently basting the raft with the liquid periodically to prevent it from drying out.[5] As the protein in the raft slowly coagulates, it traps the tiny particles clouding the liquid and brings them to the surface. Once the raft is at the surface, convection in the liquid continues to bring particles to the top and trap them in the raft, clarifying the liquid.[5][9] The meat and vegetables also add flavor.[2] Make sure the liquid does not boil, which will break apart the raft and force cloudy particles back into the liquid.[5] If it doesn't form on its own during cooking, gently poke a hole in the center of the raft.[5] The cooking process generally takes about an hour, after which the raft should start to sink slightly.[5][9] Once it is ready, carefully skim off and remove the raft without breaking it up too much, then strain the finished liquid one last time.[2][5][9]
Another, less common way to clarify stock is freezing and drip-filtering.[12] This method only works with stocks containing sufficient gelatin. Here, freezing the stock traps impurities in the gelatin. The frozen stock is then placed into a paper towel-lined sieve and allowed to thaw. As it does so, the gelatin with the impurities will remain behind while the clear liquid drips through.[12]
Salting
[edit | edit source]Avoid salting fresh stock, since it's used as an ingredient in other preparations, and you don't know how much you will need.[1][2][11] Broth, however, may be salted to taste after all other ingredients and salty seasonings are added.
Use
[edit | edit source]Broths and stocks are widespread throughout savory cooking across many cuisines. Together, they form the flavorful base of many soups, and they are often used as the savory source of liquid for sauces, stews, and cooking grains.[1][6][13] In East Asia (particularly Japan), a form of kelp called kombu is often used as the basis for broths called dashi.
Products
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In addition to its straightforward use when fresh, broth/stock can be further processed to make new products. Gently reducing to about 25–50% of the original volume produces the concentrated "demi-glace",[9] and reducing even further yields a full "glace". These are very concentrated in savory flavor, and full glaces set to a jelly due to the gelatin.[9] They are used as a base for sauces or added to soups to intensify their savoriness and, to an extent, thickness.[2][5][9]
Broths and stocks can also be concentrated into pastes or powders and sold commercially—these are often referred to as 'bouillon'. Their shelf life without preservatives is limited. Commercial preparations also often have large amounts of salt and/or MSG added. Bouillon cubes in particular have more salt than flavor and will alter the final recipe in many cases if substituted for fresh broth. Generally speaking, fresh is best where flavor is concerned.[11]
Substitution
[edit | edit source]Stock can be made with a stock cube or extract, but for best results, make your own. If you cannot, a jar of fond (condensed stock) is the next best thing.
Recipes
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av Gisslen, Wayne (2014-04-15). Professional Cooking. Wiley. ISBN 978-1-118-63672-5.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi Labensky, Sarah R.; Hause, Alan M.; Martel, Priscilla (2018-01-18). On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals. Pearson. ISBN 978-0-13-444190-0.
- ↑ a b Chesman, Andrea (2015-09-19). The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How: Field-to-Table Cooking Skills. Storey Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-61212-205-2.
- ↑ a b c d e f Kipfer, Barbara Ann (2012-04-11). The Culinarian: A Kitchen Desk Reference. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-544-18603-3.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) (2011-09-13). The Professional Chef. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-42135-2.
- ↑ a b c Davidson, Alan (2014-01-01). Jaine, Tom (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Ruhlman, Michael (2008). The Elements of Cooking: Translating the Chef's Craft for Every Kitchen. Black Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-86395-143-2.
- ↑ a b c d e f g Wolke, Robert L. (2011-01-12). What Einstein Told His Cook 2: The Sequel: Further Adventures in Kitchen Science. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-07982-1.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab McGee, Harold (2007-03-20). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-5637-4.
- ↑ a b Wolke, Robert L.; Parrish, Marlene (2002). What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-01183-8.
- ↑ a b c Farrimond, Stuart (2017-09-19). The Science of Cooking: Every question answered to perfect your cooking. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-4654-7079-9.
- ↑ a b Potter, Jeff (2010-07-20). Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food. "O'Reilly Media, Inc.". ISBN 978-1-4493-9587-2.
- ↑ The Culinary Institute of America (CIA); Schneller, Thomas (2009-02-03). Kitchen Pro Series: Guide to Meat Identification, Fabrication and Utilization. Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1-111-78059-3.