Stock is a liquid made by simmering animal bonesor meat, seafood or vegetables in water with spicesand herbs. It is used to prepare soups and somesauces, and is an essential pantry ingredient.
But store-bought preparations may contain up to
half your daily sodium recommendation in a single
cup. When you make your own stock, build flavour
with classic spices and herbs instead of all that salt.
And, depending on the ingredients you add, it may
cost less money than buying commercial stock.
Homemade stock delivers nutrition as well as
taste. It is an excellent source of niacin—a B vitamin
that helps your body convert food into energy—as
well as small amounts of potassium, zinc and iron.
You can control the fat content by removing any
that comes to the surface after cooling, and control
the salt content by simply not adding any.
It’s fun to exercise your stock options as a cook.
Use it as the base for soups, sauces and casseroles.
Keep a pot simmering on the back burner and
slowly add it to your favourite risotto recipe.
Use it instead of water when you boil and
mash potatoes. Add a pinch of turmeric
and ginger to a steaming mugful and sip it
when cold and flu season hits.
It may not be the cure, but it sure will
be a comfort. | a
Stock up
WRITTEN BY KAREN ANDERSONPHOTOGRAPHED BY SALT FOOD PHOTOGRAPHYSTYLED BY SAVORY PALATE CONSULTING
A hot stock tip
To make a clear stock, make sure to simmer—notboil—the stock. If you boil it, proteins from thebones coagulate and make the stock cloudy. Usewhole spices and herbs, as ground versions mayalso cloud the stock.
What’s the difference between
stock and bone broth?
Bone broth is stock that is left tosimmer longer, so the gelatin in thebones has time to seep out andcreate a thick liquid. Stocks simmerfor two hours. Bone broths, however,may simmer for six to 18 hours andthe bones may also be roasted in theoven and browned before simmering.
FOOD SIGHT
