The Cookhouse
Ideas for
Stocks & Broths
- Greetings from
the Cookhouse on Big Mamou Farms. Today I present a few ideas that you can use
to put Cookhouse stocks & broths to work in your kitchen.
First, I will assume that you read my previous post on Beef
Bone Broth for background on how we make stocks and broths. If you believe in
the health and beauty benefits of stocks as I do, you may be looking for ideas
to incorporate stocks and broths into your daily routine. And if you truly want
to make great tasting foods, there may be no more important skill in your
repertoire than your skill with stocks, broths and sauces. With three stocks or
broths in your refrigerator, the possibilities are endless. Perhaps more
important, you can make healthy, great tasting meals in just minutes.
The purpose of this post is to suggest
that you can work wonders in the kitchen without a recipe and without watching
the clock as long as you have a nice stock or broth on hand. That said, there
is a time and place for fancy recipes and we will certainly suggest a few here
in the Cookhouse blog with the idea that some of the world’s best tasting
dishes start with stock and the healthiest dishes are oftentimes soups. I’m pretty
sure our grandmother or at least our great grandmother’s knew this and it
served them well. The central theme of my message is that so many cooking
methods today leave the most nutritious and flavorful elements out of the
picture. I want to change that.
But first, my last post neglected to address a question that
comes up often. That is; what is the difference between a stock and a broth? Many
conflicting opinions regarding the specific definition exist out there
including those that state that there is no difference. Just Google it and you
will see what I mean. I admit too that I
have used the two interchangeably on occasion. That said, I choose to side with
a simple and logical definition. A stock is a one-dimension foundation liquid
pure and simple. In my case stocks do not contain spices or salt and are
usually made with bones and limited vegetables only. In the case of vegetable
stock, it is just that, the juice that results from slowly simmered vegetables and
nothing more. It is only when I add to the stock that it becomes a broth. Beef
stock simmered and infused with meat now becomes a broth. Or, once spices,
protein, salt or anything else is added for additional flavor to the stock it becomes
a broth. If I reduce the stock, it becomes a sauce. If I clarify the stock or
the broth it becomes a consommé. These definitions can certainly be challenged
but this is how that I use them.
Here’s a basic strategy (it might be
your grandmother’s too) to make an infinite number of dishes. It may sound simple
but believe me if you get this right your kids might even offer to do dishes.
-
No
recipes; just a little creativity and a passion for eating healthy!
-
You
will keep a couple of basic items on hand in the fridge or your freezer at all
times.
1) Never run out of stocks or broths (Ideally
Beef, Chicken & Fish)
2) Rice, grains or other starch cooked
ahead. Pasta of any shape or size is great.
3) Vegetables
4) Any protein
With spices found in your kitchen, you probably have
everything that you need to make hundreds of different healthy, low-fat, great
tasting dishes in just a few minutes. You can buy the stocks or broths frozen
and store enough for a week in your refrigerator freezer. Just take one out to
thaw before leaving for work. Once a week or so, make a large batch of rice,
grains, pasta or all three so that they are ready to go whenever you are. All
that will be missing to prepare a great meal is the protein. Chicken breast,
lean beef, tofu or fish all make great choices.
One Process, Thousands of Variations
The following step by
step process a simple guide only. I want to stress that you can substitute
anything that you desire as long as you stay in the same family of taste
profiles. For example, it’s normally best to match your stock with your
protein. The starches can be used interchangeably. It goes without saying that
fish stock is best with fish, beef stock with beef and chicken is best used
with chicken. One exception is tofu; it can be paired with just about anything.
The basic
process is listed below but remember; the beauty is the ability to substitute and
mix & match just about anything.
- - In a stainless pan heat up stock ( a pint or quart will
do nicely)
- - When the stock is hot, add starch, rice, pasta or grain
- - As it returns to temperature add the protein; chicken,
fish, beef or tofu
- - Finally, add vegetables (whatever you have)
- - Salt & Pepper to taste
Note: In this
case, I add ginger, a pinch of red pepper-flakes and substituted pecans for the
protein just to emphasize that there are no limitations to what you can do. If
the ingredients are fresh, farm-raised or organic and the stock is of excellent
quality, this dish will be fantastic every time with no recipe required.
Or with a few basic
vegetables on hand, you can make a beautiful and super-healthy soup. The
specific amount of each vegetable is not that critical. I normally use about a
one-to one ratio of diced potatoes, carrots, onions, corn and kale and then
about half that amount of celery and half that amount again of mushrooms and
garlic, salt and pepper to taste. If you happen to have a little left-over
chicken breast you can throw that in too.
Another great use for broth whether chicken or beef is a
simple onion and dried mushroom soup. This may be one of the healthiest foods
that you can possibly put in your body for beautiful skin and hair. The
mega-dose of natural minerals, collagen and gelatin supplied by the bone broth along
with one of nature’s best sources of biotin, quercetin and polyphenols make
this soup as healthy as it is great tasting. For additional taste, include fresh
or dried ginger, white pepper or a pinch of red pepper-flakes. You might also
choose to add mushrooms and toasted sesame seeds.
How about beans, lentils and corn using a little chicken broth to pull it all together?
A pinch of turmeric and curry powder give this soup’s flavor a nice twist with a
glorious yellow color.
For a healthy dose of antioxidants, blanch freshly sliced
cabbage in with your choice of chicken or beef broth. Feel free to add thinly
sliced mushrooms, caraway seeds, ginger powder or a splash of tamari. Cabbage
is often referred to as a super-food with
health benefits too numerous to mention here. Blanching in the broth prevents
important nutrients from going down the drain and instead puts them in your
body.
Healthy! Many leading nutrition professionals believe that
bone broth may be nature’s most perfect source of calcium, magnesium, selenium
and a vast array of trace minerals required by our bodies for optimal health. Our
Cook House bone broth and stock in particular will contain more than 60 trace
minerals in addition to the macro nutrients. In a recent article about the
health benefits of bone-broth Dr. David Jonkers of Exodus Health Center states,
“Other valuable nutrients include
collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, glycosamino glycans,
proline, glycine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. These all help
with the development of healthy joints, bones, ligaments and tendons as well as
hair and skin. These nutrients are considered beauty foods because they help
the body with proper structural alignment and beautiful skin and hair”. These
are but a few of the many health reasons to make bone broth and stock part of
your daily diet.
Thanks for your interest. I believe that stocks and broths
represent the essence of Nature. A great stock should look, taste, smell and
feel glorious to the touch. Done right, stocks and broths should be wonderfully
delicious and nearly irresistible and all for good reason. Perhaps no other
food in the universe contains so many nutrients designed specifically to light
up each of your senses. There is a reason for this-
Next, I will expand on a recipe or two designed to inspire
you to make stocks, broths and their derivative sauces part of your family’s
daily meal. If you want to look and feel great, I’m convinced that it may be one
of the most important things we can do.
Once again, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed hearing
from the Cook House on the Big Mamou. - JG