Basic Stock Recipe

Basic Stock Recipe

  • 1 pound chicken backs and wings
  • 1 pound veal shin bones
  • 1 pound short ribs of beef
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 ribs celery
  • 1 small bunch Italian parsley
  • ¼ celery root (celeriac), peeled (optional)
  • 2 large carrots, halved
  • 4 whole clovets, garlic
  • 1 medium-large onion (See Note)
  • 4 whole peppercorns
  1. Trim the meats of excess fat, rinse, and place in a stockpot. Cover generously with cold water, salt very lightly, and slowly bring to a boil. Add all the other ingredients, lower the heat, and simmer 3–4 hours, depending on the desired concentration of flavor. (I’d suggest more rather than less; for a lighter soup, a concentrated stock always can be quickly diluted with water.) Skim the surface of froth and fat as they accumulate.
  2. Remove from the stove, strain through a very fine sieve, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, skim off the solid surface fat. The stock then can be kept under refrigeration up to 3 days or frozen for several months.
  3. Variations: With the same quantities of vegetables and seasoning, beef, veal, or chicken stock can be prepared using the following amounts of meat and bones.
  4. Beef Stock
  5. 1 pound each beef bones (preferably marrow bones), beef shin, and short ribs or oxtails
  6. Veal Stock
  7. 1½ pounds each veal shin bones and muscles or neck and breast of veal, bone in and fat removed
  8. Chicken Stock
  9. 3 pounds chicken backs and wings
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