Stocking Up - Part Four Return to the Main Menu     Part 1 2 3 4 Stock, Broth, Bouillon, Consommé... Oh My Goodness! The simple truth is that the flavor of many of the best dishes and sauce we prepare results largely from the stock used in its cooking and flavoring and nothing is as good as a home made stock.       Uses Of Stock The three major uses of stocks are: as base for gravy, sauces and soups as base for stews, beans and braises as a cooking medium for vegetables, rice, grains and casserole dishes. So highly do the French value stocks that they are called fonds de cuisine, which means literally the foundation and working capital of the kitchen. Here are the definitions of terms I like to use: Broth Broth means the liquid resulting from cooking vegetables, meat or fish with other seasoning ingredients in water. Gelatin-rich bones may or may not be used in a broth-pot, but even if they are included as an ingredient, it's always to much less degree than in a stock. A refrigerated broth remains liquid and flowable. But that's not to say a broth is totally gelatin-free, as even in a short cooking period the simmered meat protein itself will still leach some gelatin; a broth just contains less gelatin than does a stock. Broth has richer, meatier flavor than stock, and it is seasoned with salt. A broth may be served on it's own. See More... Stock Stock is intended as a flavorful but neutral base to which other flavorings will be added, it is made primarily with bones rather than meat, but still contains vegetables and aromatic ingredients like spices and herbs, but not salt. Making stock is taking just some meat and bones, vegetables, herbs, and spices and cooked in water until their flavors and nourishing elements have been extracted.W hen a true stock is chilled, it congeals because of the gelatin. Brown stock is make by browning meat and/or bones before they're cooked in water. Most soups begin with a stock of some kind, and many sauces are based on a reduced stock (i.e. reducing means boiling the stock down to concentrate the flavor). A stock is never served on it's own, a broth may be. Bouillon Bouillon is the French word for stock. Period. Same thing, different word Consommé Consommé is another French word which means bouillon that has been clarified. Consommé is clarified to remove all the minute particles which cloud or float in the liquid. The process uses egg whites, which are beaten into the warm bouillon, brought to a simmer, and delicately strained. As a result the liquid becomes bright and beautiful without loosing any flavor. Consommé may be served as a soup or used as a base in other recipes. Double consommé means that the regular (or single) consommé has been reduced by half its volume to double the intensity of the flavor. Adding just a little unflavored gelatin and perhaps some Port (or other spirits) makes a jellied consommé. Aspic Aspic is the same as jellied consommé, except that more gelatin is added. Soup Soup means any variation or combination of meat, fish or vegetables, cooked in water or in any other liquid, and intended to be eaten. It may be thin (like consommé), thick (like gumbo), smooth (like bisque), or chunky (like chowder or bouillabaisse). Most soups are served hot, but some (like vichyssoise and fruit soups) are served cold. Store Broth Canned soup and broth, are heavily salted, and packaged bouillon is even saltier. Canned bouillon and canned broth can be improved significantly by removing much of the excess salt. Start by simmering the broth with diced potatoes, and the discard the potatoes. An excellent alternative to homemade stock is a product called "Better Than Bouillon", which is sold in an 8-oz. jar. Browned Beef Bone Stock Recipe 2-1/2 lb. of beef marrow bones 1-2 T. oil 1 lb meat or meat scraps 2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped 2 large onions, coarsely chopped celery leaves from 1 or 2 stalks Seasoning Sachet 3-4 Parsley stems ˝ teaspoon Thyme leaves, dried 1 Bay leaf ˝ teaspoon Peppercorns, whole 3 or 4 Garlic cloves, crushed A pinch each of dried Sage, rosemary, thyme,and marjoram Tie the bundle securely in cheesecloth and tie with twine. Place a layer of onions and carrots on a greased baking pan and arrange the bones on top. Bake in a 450°F oven for about 45 minutes, or until the bones are browned (the veggies may char, but don't discard them, that will add even richer flavor). Scrape up all the residue left on the pan and deglaze with water and add to the pot. Heat oil lace pressure cooker over high heat and brown the meat in batches. Place the browned bones and vegetables in the pressure cooker and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Skim off the frothy scum. Add the remaining ingredients. Lock the lid in place. Bring to 15psi over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain that pressure. Cook 45 minutes and remove from heat. Use the natural release method. Open the cooker once the pressure has dropped. Carefully strain the stock through a big strainer into a bowl. Let cool for a few minutes and then refrigerate until the fat can be lifted off the top of the broth. Store tightly in a covered container. It will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze up to 4 months.