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Stocked for the Winter
A great stock is an important base for recipes enjoyed all year long. But Winter especially has us craving dishes that warm the body from the inside out. Bookmark these stock recipes for a delicious and comforting start to your favorite meals.
We’re sharing four stock recipes from The Foothills Cuisine of Blackberry Farm cookbook: Chicken, Vegetable, Ham Hock and Beef or Veal.
Chicken Stock
Ingredients:
4 pounds chicken parts and/or meaty bones (such as backs, necks, carcasses or wings)
16 cups cold water
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
4 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 bay leaves
¼ cup lightly-packed, fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and stems
6 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon kosher salt
To Make:
- Rinse the chicken parts, pat dry and place them in a large stockpot. Add the cold water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally and skimming off the white foam that accumulates on top of the stock. Stir in the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, peppercorns and salt. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot and gently simmer the stock, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours, or until the meat falls off the bones and the bones separate.
- Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. The stock can be used immediately, or cool it to room temperature, transfer to airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to six months.
Vegetable Stock
Ingredients:
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
2 medium leeks, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped
2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
2 small parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
2 small white turnips, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 cup mushrooms or mushroom stems
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup lightly-packed, fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and stems
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
10 peppercorns
¼ cup white wine
2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
To Make:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large roasting pan, stir together the onions, leeks, celery, parsnips, turnips, garlic and mushrooms. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables and toss to coat. Roast for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned.
- Transfer the vegetables into a large stockpot. Pour 2 cups of water into the warm roasting pan and scrape up the browned glaze from the bottom of the pan; pour this mixture into the stockpot. Add 10 cups of water, the parsley, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, wine and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, over high heat, reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and gently simmer the stock for 30 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft.
- Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and stir in the vinegar. The stock can be used immediately, or cool it to room temperature, transfer to airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to two months.
Ham Hock Stock
Ingredients:
3 ham hocks (about 2 pounds)
3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
8 sprigs of fresh thyme
16 cups cold water
To Make:
- In a large stockpot, combine the hocks, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, thyme and cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and gently simmer the stock, stirring occasionally, for about 3 hours, until the ham is tender and starting to fall off the bones.
- Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. The stock can be used immediately, or cool it to room temperature, transfer to airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze up to six months. (When the hocks are cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and save it for another use).
Beef or Veal Stock
Ingredients:
6 pounds Beef and/or Veal Bones (Such as Knucklebones, Shanks, Tails, and Necks), sawed into
2-inch pieces
3 medium onions, peeled and quartered
4 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
14 cups of water
¼ cup lightly-packed, fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and stems
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
15 black peppercorns
2 teaspoons kosher salt
To Make:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large roasting pan, stir together the bones, onions, carrots and celery. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring often, until the bones are very brown.
- Transfer the bones and vegetables into a large stockpot. Pour 2 cups of the water into the warm roasting pan and scrape up the browned glaze from the bottom of the pan; pour this mixture into the stockpot. Add the remaining 12 cups of water, the parsley, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally and skimming off the white foam that accumulates on top of the stock. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot and gently simmer the stock, stirring occasionally, for 4 hours, until the meat falls off the bones and the bones separate.
- Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. The stock can be used immediately, or cool it to room temperature, transfer to airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to six months.
These four stocks make the perfect base for all your homecooked soups, hearty stews, sauces and gravies. All recipes make about three quarts, which means they’re great for freezing and using throughout the season or using the same day you’ve prepared them.