Make the perfect soup stock at home

Stocks form the basis of many dishes and are often made by simmering animal bones, meat and vegetables together, while adding any ingredients you think will give it flavour. Follow these tips to learn how to make the perfect stock at home.

To make a stock, you will need meat bones or fish bones and carcasses.

• To make a light stock, for every litre/quart of water in the pot, add about 750 grams (24 ounces) chopped bones, one onion, one bouquet garni (a bundle of herbs especially for soup), mirepoix (a chunk of celeriac, one carrot, and one leek), a few peppercorns and one clove of garlic. Slowly bring to a boil, then simmer on low for four to five hours before straining.
• For a dark stock, roast the bones and vegetables first in the oven.
• Stocks should simmer but never boil; that way the stock is richer-tasting and clearer. In addition, boiling for a long time causes stock's vitamins and minerals to go up in smoke — or rather, vapour.
• A stock is done when it has a concentrated aroma; chicken bones should be coming apart.
• For a fish stock, mix one and a half litres (quarts) of water with about 500 millilitres (two cups) dry white wine; add vegetables, salt, pepper, parsley and about one kilogram (two pounds) lean whitefish carcasses. Bring to a boil and let simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. If you cook the stock any longer, it will become bitter.
• While cooking broth or stock you'll notice foam from congealed protein forming on the surface. Skim it off regularly, along with excess fat.
• Remove fat from stocks by skimming it off or absorbing it with a paper towel. You can also let your broth cool, then remove any solidified fat from the top with a spoon.
• A method for clarifying stocks is to strain them through a fine sieve or a piece of cheesecloth.
• Salt stocks lightly, at least at first, since they become more concentrated as liquid evaporates. You're better off carefully adding spices and seasoning at the end.
• Use only whole peppercorns in most soups; ground pepper starts to taste bitter after cooking for a long time.
• Use parsley stems for stocks; the flavour is stronger than in the leaves, which tend to turn bitter when cooked at lengths.
• Stocks or broths usually keep in the refrigerator for two to three days and can last up to three months in the freezer.

--------------------

Discover the smarter way to save time and money

Ready to start saving more on your groceries and pharmacy purchases? Download the FREE YP Grocery app today! It lets you create shareable shopping lists, automatically finds all the best deals and coupons, then delivers them right to you. No more manually scrolling through hundreds of flyers to find what you’re looking for!

Download the YP Grocery app now!