Easy Cooking Homestyle Stock

Makes 4 quarts

Few foods are as satisfying as a steaming bowl of hot homemade broth. Make this once every several months, freezing in varied sized containers. Enjoy on its own simply seasoned with salt, or in soups, for quick pan sauces, or instead of oil in dressings. You haven't experienced risotto until you've tasted it with this quality of stock.

More a concept than a recipe, the idea here is to have two to three parts poultry and possibly meat (beef or veal) to 1 part vegetables. At least half or the poultry/meat should be fresh meat as opposed to bones and trimmings -- turkey wings and meaty shank cuts (pieces with round bones) being the best. Trim away all visible fat. If you can, crack wings and bones with a cleaver to release all their nutrients. And please try to use only organic produce, and poultry and meat raised without antibiotics and hormones.

• 1 quart-sized bag of bones and trimmings from poultry, beef and veal, or about 2 pounds turkey wings and 1 pound meaty beef or veal bones
• 3 pounds turkey wings
• 2 medium stalks celery with leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 3 large onions, coarsely chopped (if organic, leave skin on, but trim away root ends)
• 3 cups organic onion, carrot, and celery trimmings (optional)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (needed only if browning bones)
• 1 whole head garlic, stuck with 3 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf

Ideal here is a 12 or 16 quart tall pot. If possible, crack all bones with a cleaver. For brown stock, toss meats and vegetables with the oil. Roast in a large shallow pan at 500 degrees about 30 minutes, or until browned. Turn often, taking care not to burn. Transfer meats to stock pot, spoon off fats, and scrape up brown crusty bits with a wood spatula and boiling water. Turn into stock pot.

Whether browned or not, cover meats and poultry with cold water by about 3 inches. Bring to a gentle simmer, skimming off foam rising to the surface. Add the vegetables, garlic, and bay leaf. Make sure all solids are covered by 3 inches of water. Partially cover, bring to a gentle simmer and cook 12 to 14 hours, adding water if necessary to keep solids covered. Cool uncovered. Strain and chill quickly. Lift off fat and freeze in varied sized containers.

Copyright 1996 Lynne Rossetto Kasper

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