Taking stock
Every great sauce starts with a great stock and I've found
that will happen only if you start with the freshest ingredients possible.
(Don't use leftovers!)
Whether it's a brown stock (where the bones are browned
beforehand) or white stock, you start with fresh carrots, celery and onions-"mirepoix"
in professional kitchens-and bones. Which bones? Joint and leg bones for meat
stock and backbone and necks for fowl stock. Where possible, use marrow bones
for the best result.
No matter which type of bones you use-chicken, turkey, beef,
veal, lamb or even duck, to name just a few sources-the method is the same. If
time and space dictate you can choose only one, choose chicken as it's the
easiest-and, perhaps, the most flexible. Here's an easy recipe so you, too, can
enjoy fresh, home-made chicken stock.
Dice one onion, one carrot and two stalks of celery. Put
this "mirepoix" in a large pot with 3-5 kilograms of washed and well-rinsed chicken bones. Add water until the ingredients are
covered and bring to a simmer, not a boil, skimming the foam off as it
accumulates. (Always start your stock using cold water. The gradual increase in
the temperature as you bring them to a boil will help capture all the beautiful
nectar of your bones and vegetables.)
Add a few branches of thyme, 4 whole cloves, 4 bay leaves
and one tablespoon of whole back peppercorns-slowly. DO NOT put them in the pot and then stir madly. Put
them in the pot and use a spoon or other device to gently push them into the
water as the water simmers. Rugged stirring or boiling will leave your stock
cloudy. Skim the stock whenever foam accumulates on the surface.
Continue to simmer for three hours. Soups, sauces...that's
just the beginning!
Amitiée gourmande
Chef Marc
