Jeremy Lee Cooking by Jeremy Lee

Author:Jeremy Lee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers

Stock

Generally speaking, it is worth making more stock, in a larger pot, than is immediately required, for stock benefits from being made in large quantities with enough space for the ingredients to be able to impart their properties gently without being jostled and crowded. Any remaining stock can be frozen for another time. Stock will last a good 6 months in the freezer, but obviously the sooner it is used the better. The ice-cube tray manoeuvre is welcome: freeze stock in ice-cube trays and bundle the cubes into a sealed container to use in small quantities if required.

A stock can be made with pigs’ trotters, carcasses of birds such as guinea fowl, duck or wild duck, turkey or goose. In colder months, you might consider game such as venison and wild rabbit, or pheasant, which make wonderful deep, richly flavoured stocks.

Preparing a stock requires only a modest effort but enough time to cook. Wash and chop the vegetables, combine them in a large pot with herbs, a few cracked black peppercorns along with bones or a carcass and a glass of wine, to be then covered in water. Bring to a boil, then simmer over the lowest heat for a couple of hours, usually the duration of a film or two, I find.

The stockpot put on early can tick over quietly through the day. Spoon away any froths or foams, then leave the surface of the stock undisturbed as the crust that forms acts as a filter, leaving the stock below clear until the heat is turned off and the pot is removed from the stove.

It is always worth asking a butcher if there are any bones and trim going spare. And should a trip to the butcher prove bountiful, here is another thought. Put all the bones, with scraps and trim of pork and beef, and a pig’s trotter or two, into a deep tray with vegetables, garlic, herbs and peppercorns. Cover the contents of the tray with water, adding a glass of wine if you wish. Place a sheet of baking parchment over the bones, then tightly seal the tray with foil. Place carefully in a low oven and leave for the rest of the day.

Whichever form the cook chooses, here are two simple stock recipes which can be added to and aggrandised as you wish.

Chicken stock

Makes about 11/2 litres of stock

1 small carrot

1 small onion

1 stick of celery

2 cloves of garlic

3 bay leaves

a sprig of thyme

a sprig of summer savory (optional)

a small bunch of parsley stalks, finely chopped

12 black peppercorns, cracked

100ml white wine

1 chicken carcass

a bag of giblets (optional)

Wash and coarsely chop the vegetables and tip into a wide-bottomed deep pot. Add all the other ingredients. Top up with enough cold water to cover everything by at least 5cm, roughly 2 litres in total. Bring this to the boil, spoon away any foam arising and lower the heat until only an occasional bubble appears on the surface. Let this cook undisturbed, checking from time to time that the stock is not boiling or reducing, adding enough water to cover the contents of the pot.

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