Stocks

French cuisine categorises stocks into white, blonde and brown for meat, poultry and game, while fish stocks are usually white. Darker stocks are achieved by oven- or pan-browning of the bones and the technique called déglaçage. This involves adding water, wine or stock to the caramelised deposits left in the roasting pan and dislodging them with a wooden spoon.

Cooking times vary: for example, a fish stock needs 20 minutes while a stock made from gelatinous veal shanks might be simmered for 10-14 hours. A really good brown stock can be achieved in 6 hours with slow cooking and frequent skimming. Use a lazy weekend to make a large quantity of stock. When I make stock at home I generally reduce the cooled, degreased stock to a glace that is ⅕ of the original volume and freeze it in ice-cube trays. Just throw a few of these homemade stock cubes into the pan residue from a roast or sauté, deglaze the pan, add a good knob of butter or a spoon or two of cream, boil for a moment and you have a delicious instant sauce.