Stocks

Stock—the essence of meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, or a combination made liquid—is considered the fond, or base, of classic French cuisine, and simple chicken stock is an essential part of home cooking. Not only soups but sauces, risotto, and many low-fat preparations all rely on good, rich broth for much of their flavor.

But no one has stock on hand all the time. In fact, few people have the time or energy to make stock from scratch. And even those who do find so many uses for it—there are few ingredients that have more applications—that it quickly runs out. Eventually, all cooks turn to canned stock or the dreaded bouillon cubes.