Stocks: the most important item in your larder. They should be clear and limpid with gelatin and capture the essential flavour of the main ingredient. This is achieved by a few simple rules, the first of which is not to use your stock pot as a rubbish bin. Use only the freshest and best ingredients. Never boil a stock or it will become cloudy and lose its fresh taste. Be careful not to use too many vegetables in a stock, or it will develop a vegetable soup flavour and become unpalatable when reduced. Do not cook stocks for long periods of time or you will encourage stale flavours. Lastly, never salt a stock as it may later be reduced for sauces and become unusable. Individual stock recipes are found in relevant chapters.