plain jane cooking - recipes for the novice:

stocks

Many recipes call for a stock to be used, chicken, beef, etc.

Essentially a stock is water in which bones, vegetables and other aromatics (flavouring ingredients) have been simmered for hours (a minimum of four) to produce a flavoured liquid, for the home cook this is usually far too time consuming.

Available in most supermarkets these days are convenience products from cartons of pre-made fresh stock to concentrated fresh stock, from stock powders to stock cubes. All have their good and bad points, and it is really up to the individual as to what suits their tastes and budget.

If you choose to use a fresh concentrate, powder or stock cubes ensure you make the stock up in a jug before adding to your sauce, etc. This will ensure you have the strength of flavour you want, and will prevent you from over salting, etc.

Normally one stock cube or one tsp of stock powder will make a good strength coffee mug of stock (but ensure you taste it before using).

They say you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear, this is certainly true with cooking. Your dishes will only be as good as your base ingredients, so the better the stock the better your gravy, sauce or stew will be.

In order of preference, best coming first I would place convenience products in this order:

• cartons of pre-made fresh stock
• concentrated fresh stock
• stock cubes
• stock powders
  

email chef@tallyrand.info