stock

I really believe that good proper stock can make all the difference to soup, which as we know is good for us ; good for our health and good for our soul.

• A fish carcass can be simmered with some vegetables to really give depth to a fish soup.
• Beef or lamb bones can be roasted then cooked for a long time to extract their goodness and flavour, adding untold benefits to a meaty soup.
• Chicken stock only requires the left over bones from your Sunday roast, or if you want to make a little more effort, a chicken frame and some wings. This has to be the most versatile of stocks, especially when frozen in small quantities, able to be added to many a dish requiring a bit of stock.
• A vegetable stock can be as simple as the left over water from cooking chickpeas, potatoes or any vegetable you have steamed or boiled. Or a more complex stock could be made with a selection of aromatic vegetables.

The basic technique could be described as :

1. Good strong bones (optional for a vegetable stock of course!).
2. Aromatic vegetables.
3. Water.
4. Simmered, from as little as twenty minutes for fish stock (to avoid the bitterness that can occur) to many hours for a good strong meaty stock.

The resulting magic broth can then be reduced, frozen, used as is or added to a multitude of dishes, to add that little something extra.