Vegetable Stock
I have finally discovered the joy of making my own stock.
The most common stock I make is vegetable, but I’m starting to do some
chicken/beef from time to time. I’ve been amazed by how a little stock can add
a bunch of flavor. I can knock out a small batch of stock without really adding
a lot of time to another recipe I’m working on. Sometimes working with just
scraps I’ll make a small cup of broth in 20 minutes to help add some flavor to
something else. Other times I’ll do a full batch (6-8 cups). With that I can do
a nice soup and have extra for some smaller recipes.
(Some frozen scraps that I accumulate to make the stock with.
Here I have carrot, onion, and cilantro stems.)
I also add some fresh vegetables. Usually whatever is in the fridge:
potato, carrot, onion, and mushroom.
How to make a
vegetable stock:
I like to start by frying some vegetables for 5 to 30
minutes. I usually use a combination of onions, carrots, mushrooms, peppers, or
potatoes. Often it’s just leftovers, and sometimes I have only 2-3 veggies to
put in the stock. After browning them for a bit I just cover with water and let
it boil. I try to let it boil for about 30 minutes depending on how much time I
have.
Brown them up first.
Tip: I season the stock with a little soy sauce.
I don't add salt or pepper until I'm actually cooking with it.
Fried Yellow Squash
Slice up one or two soft squash or zucchini. Add a half cup
of roughly chopped onion if you want. Pan fry the vegetables until they start
to brown. Throw some salt on and make sure they are tender. Add a third of a
cub of vegetable stock to the pan in the last three minutes of cooking. The
broth will quickly thicken and coat the vegetables. It adds a ton of rich
flavor very quickly. You can do the same thing with bok choy, carrots, and hard squashes.
Simple Risotto
I made a simple risotto the other day. I found it much
easier than I feared. They key is to slowly add liquid to rice while cooking
it. Start with the rice and oil in a small pan. Have your stock and a ladle in
a container on the side. Every couple of minutes add a ½ cup of stock and keep
stirring. Never let the rice dry out or get soupy. You can flavor it with a lot
of common herbs or soft vegetables. Within about 20 minutes the rice should be
soft and creamy.
