Name: Basic Ham Stock (Grundrezept fer Schunkebrieh)
Yield: 3 quarts (3 liters)
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 fresh bay leaves, lightly bruised; 2 medium ham hocks (2 pounds/1 kg) or the picked carcass of a smoked capon; 2 medium onions, cut in half

Preparation info

3 quarts

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Pennsylvania Dutch Country Cooking

By William Woys Weaver

Published 1993

About

The flavor of smoked ham or capon should predominate, and if some bacon rinds or fatty skin from the capon is tossed in for added flavor, so much the better. The fat comes out of the stock in the end anyway.

Ingredients

2 medium ham hocks (2 pounds/1 kg) or the picked carcass of a smoked capon

Method

Put the ham hocks or capon in a deep saucepan with the onions and bay leaves and cover with 4 quarts (4 liters) of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 2 hours or until the stock is reduced to 3 quarts (3 liters). Skim off any scum that may form. Strain the stock through a fine sieve or a piece of cheesecloth. Reserve the meat from the ham ho