Stock

COMPONENTS,CATEGORIES AND PREPARATIONS OF STOCK

1. STOCK

2. Chef Devashish Pandey Certified Culinary Instructor and Master Culinary Trainer

3. Stock is the clear thin liquid left behind after simmering water, bones, mirepoix & bouquet garnie & straining the liquid. French chefs invented stock; they call it fond , which means “ the foundation ” as It is used as a base for soups, sauces, etc. PARTS OF STOCKS A stock has 4 basic parts which should be combined in correct proportions to extract the flavor we want. WATER – 100% BONES – 50% MIREPOIX – 10% BOUQUET GARNI – a small bunch STOCK

4. TYPES OF STOCK There are many types of stocks, all are made combining with bones, vegetables & liquid. Each stock type uses specific method to give it an individual features. Stocks are classified based on color of the stock or kinds of bones are used for making stock, they are classified as follows: WHITE STOCK BROWN STOCK FISH STOCK VEGETABLE STOCK

5. WHITE STOCK White stock is made from bones of chicken , beef, vegetables & herbs simmered for certain time, the stock has light golden color. BROWN STOCK Brown stock is made from roasted beef bones, the stock has deep brown color, it comes from roasting the bones & vegetables. FISH STOCK It is made by simmering fish bones with water & vegetables, the method is same as for meat white stock, but cooking time is less. VEGETABLE STOCK This stock is made by simmering variety of vegetables & water, but do not contain any meat bones, & cooked for 15-20 minutes only.

6. ROLE OF EACH INGREDIENT BONES Bones from tougher part of an animal are the main ingredient for making stock which gives flavor & gelatinous consistency. Different kinds of bones are used for making different stocks, but many kinds of bones are never used to make one stock. Each kind of bones are used, determine the stock name .e.g. chicken bones for chicken stock; fish bones for fish stock. For fish stock remove the head, red colored gills; which might discolor the stock, hence use only rib bones.

7. MIREPOIX (meer pwah) Never use any deep colored & starchy vegetables e.g. potato, beetroot, tomato, which may discolor or make the stock cloudy. BOUQUET GARNI (bookay garni) Bouquet garni usually consists of: bay leaf , thyme , cloves , peppercorn & parsley . It is a mixture of roughly cut vegetables e.g. carrot , onions & celery , added in stock. It is a mixture of herbs & spices tied in a cloth put in stock to add flavor & aroma.

8. GUIDLELINES FOR STOCK MAKING CUT THE BONES IN SMALL SIZES Cut the bones into 3-4 inch pieces for easy handling & better flavor extraction, but chicken & fish bones do not need to be cut. Wash the bones in cold water to remove blood, you can blanch the bones if desired, many chefs feel blanching will spoil flavor. START MAKING STOCK IN COLD WATER Combine cold water & meat bones in a stock pot & put it on range, due to cold water blood & other impurities will dissolve. As water heats, impurities coagulate, rise to surface & create ‘ scum ’ , the scum can be easily removed by skimming.

9. If the meat bones are put in hot water, impurities coagulate faster, remain scattered, do not rise on top & create cloudy stock. SIMMER THE STOCK SLOWLY Slowly bring the stock at simmering temperatures (93-95°C) & continue cooking at the same temperatures. Never boil the stock even for few minutes, which can cause impurities to blend with liquid & make the stock cloudy. NEVER SEASON THE STOCK WITH SALT It is because, after salt is added & when we reduce, it becomes too salty & the same stock make other dishes salty.

10. REMOVE THE SCUM FREQUENTLY Remove the scum frequently to remove impurities rise to the surface during cooking, or else they will make the stock cloudy. DURATION OF COOKING STOCKS Today all modern chefs use specific time for each types of stock, as each stock is made with each individual bones. Beef bones are the hardest, they take longest hours; finally fish bones are the softest, they take shortest hours. SIMMER FOR RECOMMENDED LENGTH OF TIME Beef stock = 6-8 hours Chicken stock = 2-3 hours Fish stock = 30-45 minutes Vegetable stock = 15-20minutes

11. STRAIN & STORE THE STOCK Once the stock is ready, strain the liquid without disturbing other solid ingredients to get a clear liquid in a clean pot. In most hotels, stocks are prepared in large quantities, hence the stock must be cooled & stored for later use. As the stock chills, natural fat rises & solidifies. DEGREASE THE STOCK When the stock is refrigerated, natural fat rises to its surface & solidifies, that can be easily lifted before the stock is reheated. The process of removing layer of fat from is called degreasing . .

12. TERMS RELATED TO STOCKS COURT BOUILLON ( koor bwee yohn ) It is a liquid, used for poaching fish, made by simmering vegetables & seasonings in water or acidic liquid, e.g. wine. FUMET ( few may ) After cooking fish, the court bouillon is reduced more almost by 50%, produces a strongly flavored liquid than regular stock. REMOUILLAGE ( ray mollaz ) It is a name of a new stock produced by reusing the bones & adding new vegetables, after the first stock is strained.

13. DEGLAZE It is a method of adding water to a fry pan after the food has been cooked to dissolve food particles. Later the mixture is boiled & used as a gravy. GELATIN A flavorless mixture of proteins extracted simmering bones, when the stock cools, it forms a jelly used as a thickening agent NAGE ( naahz ) After poaching a fish, the leftover liquid is strained, simmered & reduced; served as a thin sauce.

14. GLAZE / GLACE It is rubbery & jelly like product produced by reducing a stock until thick syrupy consistency & turns solid when refrigerated. REDUCTION Reduction is a process of evaporating part of stock’s water through simmering. ASPIC JELLY / ASPIC Aspic jelly is a reduced form of clarified stock, unlike glaze which is not clarified, becomes solid & rubbery when cold. NOTE : sometimes, the term ‘ Aspic ’ indicates to any dish which has been molded & set with Aspic jelly.

15. ESSENCES (flavorings) In pastry kitchen, we use the word ‘ essence’ to indicate a flavoring ingredient added to a sweet dish e.g. vanilla essence. In main kitchen, the term refers to reduced from of a particular stock, has very strong flavor added to a savory dish e.g. celery It is made in the same way as for stock but with less liquid, hence the flavor releases is much stronger.

16. SOUP