Stock or Broth?

Stock or Broth?

Technically speaking, stock must contain bones in addition to any meat and seasonings. Broth is made from meat and seasonings without bones.
As a result, it is technically incorrect to refer to a vegetable broth as a vegetable stock.
However, the two terms are fast becoming interchangeable in the vernacular. The technical differences are becoming less important in general use.
That being said, stock will have a different texture and mouth feel as a result of the collagen extracted from the bones and connective tissues. A chilled stock will, in fact, have a semi solid, jell-o like consistency from the collagens.

Chicken Stock

Leftover bones and skin from a cooked or raw chicken carcass
Celery
Onions
Carrot
Parsley
Salt
Pepper
Put the leftover bones and skin from a chicken carcass into a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Add veggies like celery, onion, carrots, parsley. Add salt and pepper, about a teaspoon of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper.
Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to barely a simmer. Simmer uncovered at least 4 hours, occasionally skimming off the foam that comes to the surface.
Remove the bones and strain the stock.
If making stock for future use in soup you may want to reduce the stock by simmering a few hours longer to make it more concentrated and easier to store.
Different Ways to Use Chicken Stock:
1. Second Stock
A lot of classical culinary traditions, when you trace them back, were born from a very practical obsession with maximizing flavor while minimizing waste. Our culinary forefathers (and they were men, almost exclusively) apparently hated to throw anything away. And since they didn’t have refrigerators, they were forced to innovate.
Making stock is a perfect example of this. Simmering bones not only extracts flavor, it also breaks down the collagens in the cartilage and other connective tissues, adding body to the stock. Once this is done, however, one might feel inclined to chuck those bones in the bin. After all, what good are they?
Plenty, it turns out. Not content to use these bones just once, our thrifty culinary forefathers invented remouillage (literally, “rewetting” in French), which refers to a stock made by resimmering bones that have been used to make stock once already. And why not? It still beats cooking with water. I’m convinced that some medieval chefs would resimmer those bones until they’d completely dissolved — and still not be happy.

2. Roast Chicken Gravy

Place the roasting pan over a medium heat on the stovetop to brown the mirepoix.
Drain off any excess chicken fat (which you can use for making the roux in the next step), pour about 2 cups of chicken stock into the pan and simmer until reduced by about a third.
To thicken the gravy, add a small amount of roux, or combine 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 Tbsp cold water to make a paste (called a slurry) and stir this into the stock.
Return to a boil, lower heat and simmer for a minute or so or until the mixture thickens, then strain through a mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.
Season the gravy to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper.

3. Chicken Pot Pie

The chicken pot pie is a true American comfort food classic. It’s the perfect way to use up leftover roast chicken, and you can use whatever vegetables you like. This chicken pot pie was adapted from a recipe by Kevin, from the blog Closet Cooking. Makes 6 Servings
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 pound cooked chicken, shredded or cut into bite sized pieces
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
salt and pepper to taste
2 portions frozen pie crust dough, thawed
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp water
Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Mix in the flour and let it cook for a minute. Mix in the chicken stock followed by the milk. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken, thyme, sherry, peas, and corn. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Line a deep pie plate with one of the thawed pie crusts. Pour the filling in, and place the second pie crust over the top. Crimp the top and bottom crusts together to seal well. Cut three 1-inch slits on the top. Mix the egg and water, and brush it on the pie crust. Place the pie onto a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400 degrees F. oven until the crust is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

4. Pumpkin Soup

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
6 cups Chicken Stock
1 bay leaf
2 (14-ounce) cans pumpkin purée
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 pound Gruyère cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
Salt and pepper
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it is tender, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, bay leaf, and pumpkin purée and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for about 25 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, purée the mixture in a food processor or blender, working in batches if necessary.
Return the mixture to the pan and whisk in the cream, orange zest, orange juice, nutmeg, and ginger over low heat. Gradually add the cheese, whisking constantly until the cheese has fully melted.
Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper, and serve it garnished with chives and toasted pumpkin seeds, if desired. ✍ Print this post