I assume every family has their Sunday ritual, we are all creatures of habit after-all. Since I can remember, my father’s Sunday lunch has consisted of a few oysters when in season or else saucisson, followed by beef fillet cooked rare with some salted crisps, a green salad and some cheese for dessert. It doesn't matter if it's just him or 6 of us, that’s the menu, it doesn't change. Our Sunday meal is a lot more frugal, we love to treat ourselves to a juicy spatchcock chicken (that’s how they cook it in Portugal) from the local Churrasqueira. I’ve never been crazy about chicken but this has changed the game.
We eat it with our fingers often straight out of the box, with a green salad on the side. I always keep the bones to make my weekly stock, it’s become a habit. If we eat fish, or shellfish, I will also keep the carcass to make a soup, nothing beats that feeling of being thrifty in the kitchen.
And it’s just so easy! Next time you cook a roast chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken, please, please give it a go. It’s good for you and also adds depth to any sauce, soup or stew. I prefer to cook a neutral stock and add any strong flavours once I know what dish I’m using it for. If you don’t eat meat, just omit the chicken and make a simple veggie stock. Throughout the week, I will put any vegetable ends (greens from the leeks, carrot tops) or tired looking vegetables in a ziplock bag in the freezer and use them on Sunday for my stock. It’s a great way of using up those veggies that you would otherwise throw out.
For those of you who just want a quick soup but have an empty fridge, get yourself some good quality bouillon. It’s worth investing in the good quality stuff, as my mum always says you get what you pay for.
I favour any brand in jars or pouches rather than cubes or granules, but you can’t always find them.
Let’s get back to our stock! When making a basic stock, you want vegetables with neutral, but savoury flavours. Onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms are the ideal starter vegetables for stock, but feel free to swap any of these for leeks or any root vegetable. This is the basic recipe, it's super versatile and from there you can freestyle as you wish.
Basic stock
Makes: 4 adult servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS (Don’t worry if you don't have all of these)
1kg chicken carcasses (optional)
1 carrot cut into chunks
1 onion skin on, cut into quarters
1 leek cut into chunks
1 stick of celery cut into chunks
1 garlic clove bashed
parsley stalks, 2 sprigs of thyme and 1 bay leaf, tied with string
4 peppercorns
INSTRUCTIONS
Tip everything into a large saucepan with a pinch of salt then cover with 2 litres of water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer with the lid off and cook for 2 hours.
Pass through a sieve and use for your intended recipe.
This will keep in the fridge for a week or for up to 2 months in the freezer. If you’re putting it in the freezer, buy a big ice cube rack and fill it with broth so you have cubes rather than a huge block.
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And now the fun part begins, pimp your stock without whatever you feel like. These are different broth variations I like:
Asian detox broth. Fry some mushrooms and leeks off in your pan for 3 minutes, add your stock, a teaspoon of fish sauce, a tablespoon of soya sauce, grated ginger and garlic , add your noodles . Serve with a quarter lime, chopped coriander and red chilli.
Dumpling soup. Steam some dim sum, heat up your stock, add ginger, a spoon of miso, sprouting broccoli and bok choy, cook for a few minutes. Put the gyozas in a bowl and cover with liquid and veggies.
Chicken and rice soup. Gently fry off sliced onion, carrot and celery for a few minutes, add three parts stock to one part rice, and cook rice according to packet instructions. Add any leftover cooked chicken you might have. To serve sprinkle with parsley and chilli oil, the end result should be a thick soup.
Looking forward to hearing what you’ve done with your stock.
Until next time x