Boiling water is boring. The stock that is boiling is not.
Many cooks regularly make stock (some call them broth) using leftover chicken carcasses or steak bones, mushroom stems and other vegetable rinds or discards, even fish bones or crab and lobster carapace. make.
These are what we freeze and then use for wet cooking of all kinds: stews, soups and as the base for braises and glazes.
Roughly speaking, autumn or winter cooking, however, reaches its peak in late November, when rivers of chicken stock tsunami through the kitchen to prepare Thanksgiving Day dinner.
However, at the start of summer, I suggest we give ourselves and our cooking a rest by making stocks and using them – certainly ones that are light and flaky – with warm-weather cold foods such as grain salads, poached and filets or cold soups such as gazpacho or vichyssoise to add flavor to cold fish.
Or, in fact for almost all summer cooking. Why not boil kidney beans in a light stock made from vegetable peelings for a three-bean salad? You will enhance the flavor somewhat this way. Other summer salads include pasta, farro, rice or potatoes for simmering, or even just any if served as a side.
The main idea is to find flavor always and everywhere in the food we cook.
I recently enjoyed a bucket of mussels that had been heated and opened over a corn cob broth enriched with herbs, white wine, and spices. The extra layer of flavor afforded by the corn cob broth was both delicious and welcome.
The main recipe here is a base of two summer stocks, one made from corn cobs, the other made from shrimp shells. The third recipe (which works year-round) is a light, almost diaphanous stock made quickly from a common vegetable peeler kept in the freezer.
summer stock base
Makes 8 cups.
Component
- 2 tbsp good quality olive oil
- 1 yellow or white onion, unpeeled and halved with its “sticks”
- 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled and lightly crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 20 black pepper
- 20 coriander seeds
- 3-4 sprigs (or just the stem) flat-leaf parsley
- 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, unpeeled (optional)
- handful celery leaves (optional)
- 10-12 carrot peels (optional)
- 8 cups water
guidance
Place a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Heat the olive oil and, when it’s shimmering, add the onion halves, cut side down, and leave them to cook until nicely charred, about 5-6 minutes, without stirring.
Move the onions to the side and place the rest of the ingredients except the water in the center of the pot and gently stir them until they are fragrant, about 90 seconds (or if using celery leaves and carrot peels) slightly higher).
Add water and other solids (eg corn kernels or shrimp shells), bring to a boil, then bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for 60 minutes, stirring only once or twice.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer or colander, either lined with cheesecloth, set over a large bowl. When cool enough to portion, freeze in appropriately sized containers for use in further preparation.
For the Corn Cob Stock: Use anywhere from 6-8 full-length cobs (or their equivalent in shorter cobs) that have been cut from most of their kernels. It’s okay (even better) if the corn was grilled first. You can also add a rind or two of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to the stock along with the cobs. That will add extra umami.
For the Shrimp Stock: Use anywhere from 4-6 cups shrimp shells peeled from cooked or raw (but thawed) shrimp. You can also add 1/2 lemon to the stock along with the shells.
vegetable peeling stock
If you are using potato peelers, use only a few; They can cloud a stock. Avoid cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower or broccoli as they can make the stock bitter. Avoid most cabbages for the same reason, except for the more tender parts of Napa cabbage. Makes 8 cups.
Component
- 2 tbsp good quality olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled and lightly crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 black pepper
- 10 coriander seeds
- 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, unpeeled (optional)
- A few stems of flat-leaf parsley or stems of delicate herbs such as thyme or savories (optional)
- 4-5 cups mixed vegetable peels (all parts of onions, leeks, carrots, celery, turnips, tomatoes, chard, mushrooms or scallions)
- 8 cups water
guidance
Place a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Heat the olive oil and, when it’s shimmering, add the garlic, bay leaf, black pepper and coriander seeds and stir gently until they are fragrant, about 90 seconds.
Add water and vegetable peels and optional ginger and herb stalks, bring to a boil, then bring to a boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes without covering, no more, stirring gently only once or twice.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer or colander, either lined with cheesecloth, set over a large bowl. When cool enough to portion, freeze in appropriately sized containers for use in further preparation.
Subscribe to The Know, our weekly newsletter, to have entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.
