| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 1 | 103 | 205 | 308 | 410 |
|
only texture and bulk.
If you use bones with very little fat in your stock, defatting isn't necessary. A small
amount of fat not only gives extra flavor but a pleasing appearance. But if your starting
ingredients are fatty, chicken skins for instance, here are two easy ways to remove the fat after
cooling:
•
If you need the stock immediately, use a baster to get under the layer of fat floating on
the surface, draw up bastersful of soup and release into another pot until you have as much as
you need. Keep pressing the baster bulb slowly as you push the tip through the fat layer. As you
force the air out, the fat cannot get in the baster while you pass the tip through the fat layer.
•
If you don't need the stock right away, cool it on the stove covered until it is no longer
hot, then place in the refrigerator to thoroughly chill. You can scoop the congealed fat from the
surface, leaving as much behind as you wish. With this method you can create a perfectly fat-free
stock.
Some cookbooks suggest other fat-removal methods, but these two are the easiest. You
can also purchase an ingenious little decanter with a long spout in kitchen equipment stores
designed to separate the fat on top while the long spout drains the fatless bottom portion. If you
like gadgets and you have a plethora of closet space, this may be for you.
Substitutes for homemade stock
You have two choices if there is no stock left in your freezer and no raw ingredients or
time to make a fresh supply—powdered dehydrated mixes or canned broth. I tested many of
these to find the best-flavored and least salty ones. As expected, none comes anywhere near a
home-cooked stock in flavor. Canned broths are the least flavorful, even though many of today's
magazine recipes call for them as substitute for home-cooked.
While the commonly available bouillon cubes and dehydrated powders are more
flavorful, they are far too salty (they use salt to preserve them). There are, however, some quite
acceptable chicken and meat broth concentrates, but you need to experiment to find one in your
location that you like. High-end food markets may carry good ones as well as some high-priced
frozen broth concentrates (which could be a good as your own). If you find a food store that sells
wholesale to the food industry (but also sells retail), you'll find containers labeled chicken base
and beef base, generally in 16-ounce jars. Avoid the cheaper versions labeled chicken-flavored
and beef-flavored. The higher quality bases have minimal salt and maximum flavor compared to
anything else commonly available. They have enough salt to keep for years without noticeable
deterioration. If you fail to find any other substitute for home-made stock, buy some dehydrated
chicken and beef bouillon and reduce the salt in your recipe.
What do you do when you don't have an essential vegetable on hand and it is time to
make stock—run to the nearest store or borrow some from a neighbor? Neither is something you
want to do too often, particularly if you have little time for cooking. The answer is to keep a
good supply of dehydrated vegetables on your shelf. They are a good alternative for fresh in both
soups and stocks. When the vegetable is out of season, the dehydrated form is often better than
the fresh equivalent in the store and often a great deal less expensive. You can add them directly
to the stock pot without rehydrating, unless the recipe specifies sautéing them.
Dehydrated vegetables are not always readily available, either. Natural food stores may
have them in bulk but a well-stocked supermarket may also carry them. If you live in a
community with a substantial Mormon population, you're more likely to find foods in dehydrated
play © erdosh 26
Page
Quick Jump
|