Broth is one of those often overlooked components of a recipe. One that is not given the respect and attention it deserves as the foundation of a soup, sauce or braise. People seem to be overwhelmed at the thought of making their own broth with fresh, quality ingredients. Whether it is the perception that it takes too long, or requires too much preparation, or is just easier to drop in a cube of insta-broth...we are all prone to opt for the short cuts. But once you make your own broth and taste the difference, there is no going back. The depth and richness flavor, the endless varieties that can be paired with the dish you are making - broth matter.
This Sunday, Montavilla Farmers Market Resident Chef Kathryn Yeomans will demonstrate and discuss the merits of homemade stocks and broths in the first of her monthly market culinary demos. Make sure to be at the market at 10:30 tomorrow morning to get the blow by blow, hands on, detailed guide on how to transform your broth-based recipes from ho-hum to wow.
Meat Broth
makes about 2 ½ quarts
In Italy, it is common for many types of meat to go into a broth, or brodo, depending on what is available. Leftover roast or bones from a roast, such as beef, pork, or chicken, can be used, as well as marrow bones, which give the broth gelatin (which gives it body and makes for a rich flavor). This broth is sometimes served as a first course, simply garnished with a bit of pasta (often maltagliata, meaning “badly cut”, which are the end scraps from making homemade pasta), a drizzle of olive oil, and a grating of Parmesan cheese. It is a wonderful restorative, and can be frozen in quart containers, plastic zipper bags, or even ice cube trays, so that you can pull out as little or as much as you need.
5 pounds mixed meat and bones – (such as 2 pounds of boneless stew meat, like chuck, 1 pound of pork shoulder, 1 ½ pounds of marrow bones – about 4 - or oxtails, and a chicken carcass)
5 quarts of water
2 medium yellow onions, peeled
2 small carrots, peeled
1 large rib celery
1 medium potato, peeled
3 each whole canned tomatoes
a quarter of a red pepper, seeded, optional
1 tsp. black peppercorns
a couple of sprigs of thyme, optional
2 tsp. kosher salt
Place the meat in a large stockpot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. As the foam (or scum) rises to the surface, skim it off and discard. When the pot reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle but steady simmer. Continue to skim as needed.
After the stock has been simmering for an hour, add the vegetables and aromatics, including salt. Continue to cook for another 2 hours. The broth is done when it has developed a rich, meaty flavor, and has reduced by about a third to half.
Let the broth settle for 20 minutes. Strain the broth through a colander or strainer. Discard bones. Strain again through a colander lined with dampened cheesecloth. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated, using within 4 days, or freeze for longer storage. Remove and discard the solid fat that has congealed on the surface before re-heating the broth.
Chicken Broth I
makes 2 ½ quarts
This is a light, flavorful broth. You can use the chicken meat as well as the liquid. With the meat, I make soup, simmer it with sauce and serve it over pasta or rice, make chicken salad, and sandwiches. Slather the meat with barbecue sauce and grill the legs over hot coals or bake them in the oven. Or if you’re ambitious, you can even use the chicken to make tamales!
4 pounds chicken legs and thighs
4 quarts water
2 tsp. kosher salt
Add the chicken to a large stockpot, along with the water. Bring to a boil. As the foam (or scum) rises to the surface, skim it off and discard. When the pot reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle but steady simmer. Continue to skim as needed.
Add the salt and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and check it for doneness. Continue to simmer the chicken-less stock for 30 minutes. Strain the broth through a colander or strainer lined with dampened cheesecloth. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated, using within 4 days, or freeze for longer storage. Remove and discard the solid fat that has congealed on the surface before re-heating the broth.
Chicken Broth II
makes 2 quarts
For a more aromatic broth, try this version.
1 pound chicken parts (a package of wings, or backs and necks are ideal, or you can use legs) – note: never use the liver for broth, as it will impart a bitter flavor. The giblets (heart, gizzard), on the other hand, are fantastic for broth.
1 chicken carcass, either leftover from a roast, or one that is raw from which the meat has been removed (join us for our Montavilla Farmers Market Culinary Demo, “Chicken Breakdown” on September 26, 2010!)
3 quarts water
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 small carrot, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 medium celery rib
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 bay leaf
½ tsp. black peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig parsley
Add the chicken parts and carcass to a large stockpot, along with the water. Bring to a boil. As the foam (or scum) rises to the surface, skim it off and discard. When the pot reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle but steady simmer. Continue to skim as needed.
Add the vegetables, aromatics, and salt and continue to simmer for 1 hour.
Let the broth settle for 20 minutes. Strain the broth through a colander or strainer. Discard bones. Strain again through a colander lined with dampened cheesecloth. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated, using within 4 days, or freeze for longer storage. Remove and discard the solid fat that has congealed on the surface before re-heating the broth.
Vegetable Broth
Adapted from The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy by Domenica Marchetti
makes 6-7 cups broth
I love this vegetable broth for its clean, clear flavor. A little white wine gives the broth a little extra body.
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 celery ribs, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 leek, white and light green parts, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
stalks and feathery leaves from 1 bulb fennel (reserve bulb for another use)
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed with the flat side of a knife blade
5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, including stems, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs fresh marjoram
2 sprigs fresh thyme
½ tsp. black peppercorns
½ cup dry white wine
8 cups (2 quarts) water
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt
In a heavy-bottomed stockpot, heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Add all the vegetables and aromatics, except salt, and sauté, stirring from time to time, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and the onion is pale gold. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the wine. Let the wine bubble for 2 minutes, then add the water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 45 minutes. The broth is done when it has reduced slightly and has a full flavor. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt.
Strain the broth through a fine-meshed sieve lined with dampened cheesecloth. Use the back of a wooden spoon to press down on the solids, extracting as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated, using within 4 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Mushroom Broth
makes 2-2 ½ quarts
This broth is suitable for mushroom risotto or soups. It makes an excellent vegetarian gravy base. It can be used in place of vegetable broth when you desire a mushroomy flavor. I have lots of recipes on my blog, The Farmer’s Feast, http://thefarmersfeast.
I’ve found that the best way to accumulate mushroom trimmings is to place a plastic zipper bag or small plastic container in the freezer and add mushroom scraps to it as you collect them. When you have enough, this broth comes together easily.
1 pound mushroom trim from wild and cultivated mushrooms, 1 pound mushrooms (less fresh, but not slimy or stinky, older mushrooms work wonderfully
¼ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
½ a small onion, peeled and halved, or 1 leek top (dark and light green part), cleaned and halved, or 2 good-sized shallots, peeled and halved
2 small garlic cloves
½ tsp. black peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 small bay leaf
2 tsp. kosher salt
3 quarts water
Add all of the ingredients to a stockpot. Bring to a boil. As the foam (or scum) rises to the surface, skim it off and discard. When the pot reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle but steady simmer. Continue to skim as needed. Simmer gently for 1 hour.
Let the broth settle for 20 minutes. Strain the broth through a colander or strainer, using a wooden spoon to press down on the solids, extracting as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Strain again through a colander lined with dampened cheesecloth. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated, using within 4 days, or freeze for longer storage. Sometimes, a brownish-gray film will rise to the surface of the cooled mushroom broth. Simply skim off this film before re-heating.
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