We probably all have a few cubes lurking in the cupboard, but homemade stocks, especially meat stocks with their gelatinous wobble, take some beating. The remains of a roast make a thrifty starting point, whereas stock from raw bones, trimmings or giblets will have a bigger personality.
Simple ingredients
For a versatile stock, the basics are water, bones, trimmings or giblets (for meat and fish stocks), celery, onion, carrot and a few "aromatics" such as parsley stalks, a bay leaf or thyme sprigs (or ideally all three tied in a bundle), plus six or so peppercorns. Stock isn't salted, to avoid over-seasoning your finished dish.
Meat stocks can take a few hours, so big batches are most economical. Save bones and trimmings in the freezer, or buy cheaply from the butchers.
I rarely use a recipe, simply adding enough water to cover the main ingredients (1.5kg bones will make roughly 1 litre of unreduced stock), and following these four key steps:
Boil then skim
All stock is boiled once to begin with, bringing froth to the surface of meat and fish stocks. Sweep a large spoon across the pan to remove as much as you can.
Eke out the flavour
Good, clear stock is simmered slowly and gently. Once it boils, reduce the heat until bubbles bob lazily to the surface, then cover the pan. It won't need much attention, except a top-up with boiling water now and again. A slow cooker is perfect for this, and can be left all day to simmer, if you like.
Strain it
Lift the veg and bones from the stock, then pass it through a sieve and cool completely. Scoop away any fat.
Reduce and store
To boost flavour and to save space, boil strained stock down by half (you can always add water back again). Chill and use within 3 days, or freeze.
Basic recipes
Rich, brown stock is made with raw beef, veal, lamb or game bones and vegetables, roasted together prior to simmering. Brown stock makes great gravies and rich soups, with lamb stock best kept for lamb dishes.
Spread 1.5kg raw bones plus any trimmings over a large roasting tin. Cut 2 skin-on onions in half, and chop 2 celery sticks and 2 carrots into finger lengths. Tuck the veg among the bones. Roast at 200C/400F/gas mark 6 for 45 minutes, or until dark golden. Transfer to a large saucepan, add aromatics, then cover with cold water. Boil, then simmer for 4-8 hours for red meat bones, or 2-4 hours for poultry, depending how much time you have.
White stock, which skips the browning step, has a paler colour and gentler flavour. For white chicken stock, follow the brown stock recipe as above, putting raw bones, vegetables and aromatics straight into the pan with water to cover. Simmer for 1½-2hours.
Sunday roast chicken or turkey stock makes a great weeknight risotto or soup. Put the chicken carcass in a pan with the veg, aromatics and water. Simmer for 1 ½-2 hours.
For simple fish stock use the bones and trimmings from white fish, or alternatively, shellfish shells. Put 500g bones, trimmings or shells into a pan with the vegetables, aromatics and water. Simmer for 30 mins – no longer or it can become bitter.
Vegetable stock is easily made the same way, using 2 carrots, celery stalks, and onions, plus an extra leek, a few mushrooms plus the usual suspects – aromatics and water. Simmer for 30mins.
Giblet stock steps in where there are no bones available – for instance when roasting turkey or goose. Put everything but the liver into a large pan, then add (you guessed it) vegetables, aromatics and water as before. Simmer for 1 ½-2 hours.
Put into practice … white onion soup with cider and gruyere
Serves 4
120g unsalted butter
600g large onions, sliced
6 thyme sprigs
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
400ml white chicken stock
450ml sweet cider
200ml creme fraiche
1 baguette, sliced
1 garlic clove
100g gruyere cheese, grated
1 Put a pan over a medium heat and add the butter. When this has melted, add the onions to the pan, together with the thyme, sugar and salt. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly caramelised and golden – about 12 minutes.
2 Add the stock and cider, bring the soup to a simmer, and cook for 10–12 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the creme fraiche. Remove the thyme sprigs, pour the soup into a blender and blend until you have a smooth puree.
3 Toast the slices of baguette until golden on both sides, then rub with a cut clove of garlic. Top with the grated cheese and grill until the cheese is melted and golden. Place a few slices in each bowl of soup to serve.
Jane Hornby is the author of What to Cook and How to Cook It (Phaidon). To order a copy for £18.49 (RRP £24.95) visit theguardian.com/bookshop or call 0330 333 6846. Recipeextracted from Easy by Tom Aikens (Ebury Press, £25)
