The project.
PHOTOGRAPHS TOM SHINGLER
“Stock is every thing in cooking, at least in French cooking. Without it, nothing can be done. If one’s stock is good, what remains of the work is easy; if, on the other hand, it is bad or merely mediocre, it is quite hopeless to expect anything approaching a satisfactory result”
AUGUSTE ESCOFFIER (1846-1935)
PORTRAIT: DUNCAN SPIRES
Those are wise words from Auguste, one of the most influential chefs of all time – who would no doubt have broken down sobbing if presented with a stock cube. While cubes and their ilk (powdered bouillon, those plastic pots of stock jelly and even pouches of ‘fresh’ stock) have their place – we’re certainly not dismissing them and frequently use them ourselves – they can’t hold a candle to the real thing.
Many home cooks have never cooked stock from scratch. Provided you have a spare few hours at home, though, and a freezer to store your creation, you can easily make knockout stock that can be used straight from frozen. Chicken stock is the most commonly used, so we’re focusing on that here – but we reckon once you get a taste for it, beef, pork, fish and prawn stocks are just around the corner.
MR ESCOFFIER WAS A PROFESSIONAL AND I’M NOT – SO WHY SHOULD I MAKE STOCK?
• It’s really, really easy, almost totally hands-off, and will completely transform the depth and flavour of your dishes