The Bones
To the French it is appropriately named “fonds de cuisine” or the foundation of cooking. Stocks
play an important role in the culinary arts and are one of the most basic preparations in the professional kitchen. They are the perfect complementary companion in the kitchen and become the
base of almost everything we do at the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy (INCA).
A stock is the essence of flavor dispersed into water. Simmering bones, shells or parts from beef,
veal, poultry, seafood and vegetables, prepare this flavorful liquid. Over time, the flavor, aroma,
color, and nutritive value are extracted, resulting in a universally versatile start to so many wonderful kitchen creations. It is used as a base to prepare sauces and soups, as a braising and simmering medium for vegetables and grains, and the very foundation of so many additional dishes.
Stock making is an art. Once you master the process it opens
up thousands of cooking possibilities. There are essentially four types of stocks utilized in classical cooking: white,
brown, seafood and vegetable stocks. The basic ingredients
include bones, mirepoix (French term for the combination
of onion, celery and carrot), sachet d’ espice (peppercorns,
thyme, bay leaf and parsley stems wrapped in a cheesecloth
bag), and water. Always remembering the final outcome will
help you create the most flavorful stock. Stocks should have
body, flavor, color and clarity. Body is achieved through the
process of bone collagen turning into gelatin that thickens
and enriches the stock. Browning and caramelizing the bones
and/or vegetables prior to simmering achieve flavor and color.
Clarity starts with cold water and clean bones that are gently
simmered but never boiled. The vegetables and spices should
be added during the last hour of cooking and then strained of
all solid particulates.
Timing is just as
important depending
stock you
on which
are making.
•Fish and vegetable stock
take up to 1 hour
•Chicken stock
can take up to 4 hours
•Beef stock requires
nearly 10 hours
The Art
Making stock is similar to comparing my journey through culinary school – the costly and time-consuming process, and ultimate reward at the end. As a young culinarian with less than three weeks left of my schooling it seems
like just yesterday I was getting my first lessons in stock making. Chef Peter Tobin was the intimidating and
educated instructor at the head of the class with the tall white toque. He is a great teacher for young (or not so
young!) students that have come to INCA to learn the basics. I’ll never forget one of his first lessons, “the true success of any chef could be measured in the ability to make a good stock”.
One of the very first rotations in this class is the “stock team”, which carries with it tremendous responsibility where
the art of teamwork is not only necessary but also required! Decisions must immediately be made – how many
pounds of bones are needed? Which stockpot will hold all the ingredients and take into consideration the space
needed to simmer, settle and evaporate? Oftentimes, the process starts before class begins and continues to work its
magic overnight. The Stock Team will huddle in the corner of the kitchen, like a coven, to stir the bubbly cauldron
with a big wooden paddle and skim the top for impurities with a spider wand. You need to be “at the ready” to
drain the stock with big pots and china caps. All these new terms and tools!! An ice bath at the ready is necessary
to cool the stock for safe and proper cooling and storage. After label, dating and initialing your creation for storage
comes the Chef Instructor evaluation. Oh, the pressure!
Giant 40-gallon steam-jacketed kettles hold the chicken and beef stocks overnight, and the smaller shellfish and
vegetable stocks are reserved for single usage in more “normal” sized pots. Once made, we use the various concoctions when learning how to make soup, stews, sauces and individual recipes. In this beginning class, we use the
stocks to create sauce techniques, cooking vegetables, potatoes, cooked pasta and rice dishes and learn firsthand
how much that giant cauldron enhances the final taste from the inside.
56 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE