A good stock is the single most transformative ingredient in cooking — and it costs virtually nothing if you build the habit of saving scraps. What goes into the bin in most kitchens is, in the right hands, the foundation of extraordinary soups, risottos, gravies, and braises.
What to Save
For vegetable stock: onion skins and ends, carrot tops and peels, celery leaves, leek tops, mushroom stems, parsley stems, bay leaves, peppercorns, tomato skins, and corn cobs.
For chicken stock: all of the above, plus chicken carcasses, backs, necks, wings, and feet (feet produce exceptionally gelatinous stock).
Avoid: brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower — they make stock bitter), starchy vegetables (potato — clouds the stock), and strong-flavoured alliums in excess.
The Scrap Bag Method
Keep a zip-lock bag or container in the freezer. Every time you prepare vegetables, add the usable scraps. When the bag is full, you have enough for stock. This habit costs you nothing extra and eliminates waste.
Chicken Stock Recipe
Place one roast chicken carcass (or equivalent raw bones) in a large pot with your frozen scraps, a halved onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, a bay leaf, and a small bunch of parsley. Cover with cold water, bring slowly to a bare simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 3-4 hours. Strain, cool, and refrigerate. The fat will solidify on the surface and can be easily removed.
Stock made from scratch will outperform any shop-bought version in flavour, body, and the ability to make everything it touches taste better.
Storing Your Stock
Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze in ice cube trays for single-portion convenience. Frozen stock cubes can be transferred to bags and stored for up to 3 months.
