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Stocks & Broths
Bones, aromatics, water, patience — the invisible foundation under great cooking.
Stock is water that has been taught to taste like something. Bones give body (gelatin), aromatics give perfume, and time extracts both. It never boils — a boil emulsifies fat and scum into the liquid and turns it cloudy. It barely bubbles.
The classic aromatics are mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery, 2:1:1) plus bay, thyme, peppercorns, parsley stems. Salt comes later, in the dish — stock reduced for a sauce would turn salty if seasoned now.
Freeze it in one-cup portions and you will simply be a better cook: pan sauces, risotto, braises, soups, and beans all begin here.
Cover bones (roasted for brown stock, raw for white) with cold water.
Bring barely to a simmer; skim the first grey foam.
Add aromatics; hold at a quiver — 1 hour for vegetables, 4 for chicken, 8+ for beef.
Strain without pressing, chill fast, lift off the fat cap.