Rouxbe

I made stock for the first time and used this recipe--it turned out great! It was easy to do, too. Thank you.

Your recipe calls for barely simmering the stock for 6 hrs. Other recipes I've seen say simmer only 1 hr. Is the amount of flavor proportionately greater in the longer-simmered stock?

Short answer:
There IS a point where you will not extract any more flavor from bones and/or vegetables. A slow simmer results in a slower extraction process and is used to produce a very clear stock. We suggest 4 to 6 hours at a very slow simmer for best results.

Longer Answer: Let me first start off by talking about what a stock is - it is flavored water. That's it. Making a stock is like making tea where you are simply infusing flavor into water to use as a base for a: e.g. sauce, soup, braised dish, etc.

With that out of the way, there are no absolutes with stocks. You simmer to extract flavor and if you like the flavor you have reached after 1 or 2 hours, then so be it. It will still produce an end-dish that will be better than if you simply added plain water. And unlike tea, you can even cook a stock longer without causing the stock to degrade in flavor. You won't be extracting any more flavor after a certain point, but rather you will start concentrating the flavors through reduction.

So remember - no absolutes. If you want to add tomatoes and more thyme to adjust the base flavor, then go ahead. This is where stock making gets fun and begins to take on your own personal culinary character.

I made this stock yesterday. Instead of my usual short cut methods, I followed the recipe. this is some of the best stock I've ever made. I did simmer for 6 hours. It was very gellatenous when cooled. I can't wait to use this stock. I also put the stock in ziplock bags, laying flat in the freezer. I had 8 bags which hardly took any room...awesome!

Fantastic stock. I've used it in meat dumplings and almost anywhere "water" is needed in a recipe. I too have a gelatinous mass in my fridge which I enjoy scooping out and enriching my, now superior, dishes. Thanks guys! 100%

I had to use ketchup as I didn't have paste...