Basic Stocks and Broths

I’m sure you’ve noticed that chicken or vegetable stock appears as an ingredient in as many as half the recipes in this book; it is a wildly versatile ingredient across the board. But most important, stock is the building block of soup-making. It is soup at its most basic: water flavored by long contact with various foodstuffs. Some of the classic soups are nothing more than broths. So stock can be soup or it can be the basis for soup. For the beginning home soup-maker, there are really only two stocks you need to learn. First is a good chicken stock (which can be turned into a great fish stock using shrimp shells). And yes—it’s okay to use canned chicken stock if you need to! I recommend choosing one that is defatted and salt-reduced. Beyond that, read the ingredients list and use your own tastebuds to pick a favorite brand. I’ve included a quick tip for adding more flavor to canned stock (page 91). The other stock that you should feel comfortable with is a good vegetable stock and I’ve included my favorite all-purpose version below. I’ve yet to find a good commercial vegetable stock. They all seem to taste too strongly of a single vegetable.