Stock (food)

Stock is a flavoured liquid. It forms the basis of many dishes, particularly soups and sauces. Stock is prepared by simmering various ingredients in water, including some or all of the following:

Related Topics:
Soup - Sauce

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• Bones or meat.
• Veal, beef and chicken bones are most commonly used. The flavour of the stock comes from the cartilage and connective tissue in the bones. Connective tissue has collagen in it which gets converted into gelatin that thickens the liquid. Stock made from bones needs to be simmered for longer than stock made from meat.
• Meat from fish, venison, chicken and other kinds of poultry may be used for certain types of stock. If meat is used, it is usually not of prime quality and often not served on its own. In some countries, older chickens are sold as "boiling hens" or "stewing hens", and fish stock is often prepared from the heads of fish. Sometimes, unwanted parts of chicken such as wing tips or backs are used.
• Mirepoix, a combination of onions, carrots, celery and sometimes other vegetables. Often the less desirable parts of the vegetables (such as carrot skins and celery ends) are used since they will not be eaten.
• Herbs and spices. The herbs and spices used depend on availability and local traditions. In classical cuisine, the use of a bouquet garni (or faggot of herbs) consisting of parsley, bay leaves, a sprig of thyme and possibly other herbs, is common. This is often wrapped in a cheesecloth "bag" and tied with string to make it easier to remove it once the stock is cooked.

Broth is very similar to stock and often confused with it. Broth is made in the same way as stock but meat is substitued for bones.

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Today, ready-made stock and stock cubes consisting of dried, compressed stock ingredients are readily available, although of inferior quality to that of a properly prepared home-made stock. These are commonly known as bouillon cubes or oxo cubes (after a common brand of stock cube sold in Britain).

Related Topics:
Bouillon - Oxo

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Stock (food): Types ►