How to Make a Good Stock for Soups and Sauces

  Stocks are not really a complicated items to make.  A good stock can make a big difference in any soup or sauce that you are creating.  I do not want to get into the technical aspects, but just how to create a great stock.  There are four  elements to create a stock:

1. The Nourishing Element:  That can be anything from chicken bones, beef bones, fish bones or shells or Vegetables for a vegetable stock.
2. Liquid:  Water
3. Bouquet Garni:  This is a simple package of herbs and spices to help flavor the stock.  Usually it is wrapped in a cheese cloth.  The basic package consists of several black peppercorns, parsley, bay leaves and thyme.
4. Mirepoix:  These are the basic vegetables depending on the recipe needed to help flavor and give the stock depth.  They normally consist of Onions, Celery, Carrots and Leeks.  If you are creating a white stock for let’s say fish stock you would eliminate the carrots because it would give your stock they yellow or orange color.

Simple chicken or turkey stock:

• Take bones from a left over chicken or turkey and place them in a pot.  Add water 3/4 way up the pot.  Then add 1 onion cut in half, 3 carrots rough chopped ,  Do the same with 3 to 4 pieces of celery and add a few leeks.  This is your Mirepoix.  Next add your Bouquet Garni and simmer for 4 hours. Make sure you keep skimming the foarm off the top as this is getting rid of the impurities.

Remember the longer you simmer the more concentrated your stock will become.  I usually start tasting it after 3 hours of simmering.  If you simmer it to long it will become saltier and more concentrated. 

If you are going to create a beef or veal stock you first need to roast the bones to create a stock with much more flavor.  The same process is used as above.  I would be happy to elaborate add to this post if there are any questions about creating a stock.