Category: Stocks

Basic stock recipes by Escoffier

  • Bouillon de Moules, Mussel Stock

    Bouillon de Moules, Mussel Stock

    Recipe for making bouillon de moules, or mussel stock, at home.

    Mussel Stock
    Escoffier mentions using the ‘cooking liquor,’ or broth, from mussels, in Le Guide Culinaire. But as with mushroom stock, there is no specific Escoffier recipe for mussel stock included. You can use the leftover broth from steaming mussels in white wine and lemon. But what ingredients specifically should you use?

    Mise-en-place for mussel stock

    This seafood stock is used in making Sauce Normande, and is based on one from the Alinea Restaurant cookbook. You can use either fresh fennel bulbs or fennel seed, depending on what you can get. I used a package of frozen greenshell mussels from New Zealand for this stock, but you could use any type you can find. I like a little extra kick in mine, so I use dry vermouth and a hint of absinthe to flavor the broth.

    Vermouth and absinthe for mussel stock

    In a medium stockpot, sauté the mirepoix of onion, celery and fennel (bulb or seed) in butter until translucent. Add the vermouth, absinthe (or any licorice-y spirit), bay leaf, peppercorns and bring to a gentle simmer.

    Add vermouth to the mirepoix

    Add the mussels and cover. Steam until the mussels open, about 5-10 minutes. If you are not eating them and want to get the maximum flavor from the mussels, steam for up to 30 minutes.

    Escoffier mussel broth

    Remove from the heat, let cool, and strain the broth into plastic containers. Reserve the mussels for another use or for eating!

    Ingredients
    35g (7 1/2 teaspoons) unsalted butter
    100g (2/3 cup) diced onion
    100g (2/3 cup) diced celery
    100g (2/3 cup) diced fennel bulb, or 4g (2 teaspoons) dried fennel seed
    375g (1 small bottle) Dolin dry vermouth
    25g (1 ounce, or 1 jigger) La Fée Absinthe Parisienne absinthe
    1 fresh bay leaf
    12 whole, black peppercorns
    1000g (2.2 pounds) fresh or frozen mussels

    Equipment
    Salter digital scale
    Kitchen knife and cutting board
    Measuring bowls
    Medium stockpot with lid
    Wooden spoon
    Rubber spatula
    Strainer or chinois
    Medium Saucepan
    Plastic containers

    Sources:
    A. Escoffier. H.L. Cracknell & R.J. Kaufmann, transl. Le guide culinaire: the complete guide to modern cookery.
    G. Achatz, D. Beran & N. Kokonas. Next Restaurant Paris 1906. eBook: Achatz, LLC, 2011.

     

  • Bouillon de Champignons, Mushroom Stock

    Bouillon de Champignons, Mushroom Stock

    Escoffier recipe for Bouillon de Champignons, Mushroom Stock.

    Although the use of mushrooms is common in a large number of Escoffier’s recipes, there is no recipe solely dedicated to a basic mushroom stock. (Nor for that matter, vegetable stock!) There are recipes for mushroom sauces (Escoffier 32, 99), and ‘cooking liquor from mushrooms’ is vaguely quoted all over the place, but never really fully explained. More recently, Julia Child had a recipe for mushroom essence (fumét de champignons) in Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

    And today, some chefs explain ‘mushroom cooking liquor’ as the remaining liquid from sautéing mushrooms with white wine, lemon and butter. You could very well use this in place of making your own mushroom stock, and either may equally be used in Escoffier’s recipe for Sauce Normande, among others.

    So here is my version, adapted from Escoffier’s fond de veau brun recipe, and from Next Restaurant’s Escoffier Paris 1906 ebook (which was inspired from Thomas Keller’s French Laundry mushroom stock recipe).

    Any trimmings from mushroom garnishes can be used, but for the home chef, using regular white button mushrooms, aka Champignons de Paris (Agaricus bisporus), works perfectly. Or try half white button mushrooms and half black Asian mushrooms for a more savory taste.

    Mise for mushroom stock

    Process the mushrooms, carrots, onions, leeks and parsley in a food processor until they are finely chopped.

    Melt the butter in the bottom of a large stockpot and sauté all the vegetables, the thyme sprigs and curry together for about 15 minutes, stirring, until cooked tender.

    Saute the mushrooms

    Cover with water and simmer for at least an hour. (Longer is better!)

    Simmer the bouillon de champignons

    Strain through a chinois into a saucepan, simmer, and reduce by half.

    Mushroom stock, strained and reduced

    Strain again, cool, and store in plastic containers. May be refrigerated for a week, or frozen for future use.

    Ingredients
    700g (8 cups) chopped mushrooms
    125g (1 cup) chopped carrot
    87g (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) chopped onion
    87g (1 cup) chopped leek
    20g (1/3 cup) chopped parsley
    35g (7 1/2 teaspoons) unsalted butter
    4g (5 teaspoons) fresh thyme sprigs
    2g (1/3 teaspoon) sweet curry powder
    1800g (8 cups) water

    Equipment
    Salter digital scale
    Kitchen knife and cutting board
    Measuring bowls
    Large stockpot
    Wooden spoon
    Wire whisk
    Rubber spatula
    Strainer or chinois
    Medium Saucepan
    Plastic containers

    Sources:
    A. Escoffier. H.L. Cracknell & R.J. Kaufmann, transl. Le guide culinaire: the complete guide to modern cookery.
    S. Beck, L. Bertholle & J. Child. Mastering the art of French cooking. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1961.
          “Champignons à Blanc,” p. 511. “Fumet de Champignons,” p.512.
    T. Keller. The French Laundry cookbook. New York: Artisan, 1999.
    G. Achatz, D. Beran & N. Kokonas. Next Restaurant Paris 1906. eBook: Achatz, LLC, 2011.

     

  • 0006. Fumét de Poisson, Fish Fumét, Fish Stock

    0006. Fumét de Poisson, Fish Fumét, Fish Stock

    Escoffier recipe for making fish stock, fish fumét, fumét de poisson, at home (Escoffier, 6).

    Fish Stock

    In French, fish stock is called fumét de poisson. If you buy your fish whole and clean it yourself, this is really easy to make with the leftover bones and scraps. And you’re not wasting anything!

    Fish stock, or fumét, is a ‘foundation’ recipe, used as a base in fish soups, chowders, dishes and sauces like Lenten Espagnole, Normandie and Genevoise. You want a good, clean, subtle flavor for your stock. So use mild, lean, whitefish like sole, halibut, cod or flounder. Avoid fatty, oily fish like salmon, trout or mackerel. Their taste can overpower your stock. (Which is not to say that’s a bad thing — rich sauces such as Genevoise call for salmon and red wine!)

    You can use any lean whitefish scraps and bones for stock. If you don’t feel like gutting and cleaning the fish yourself, go to a local Asian market and buy some whole fish. You can have the butcher fillet it for you and ask them to split the heads, and keep the scraps for stock. Some places even sell fish heads and tails for this very reason.

    I went to Seafood City Supermarket (1420 East Plaza Blvd. Building C, National City, CA 91950, 619-477-6080) and bought a whole carp for an Escoffier recipe I was cooking. It’s a local favorite of mine for finding great buys on fish, and was even featured on Bizarre Foods. (Yes, I know, I know, I used carp — which is not the whitest of fish for the stock, but hey — it was what I was working with.)

    This version of the recipe differs from Escoffier’s slightly. Instead of all onion, we use half onion and half leek, which is milder. You could easily use the whole amount of onion and omit the leek. And optionally, we add a bit of thyme for more flavor.

    Fish scraps for fish fumet

    If you’re using them, rinse off the heads and tails. Roast the fish bones and scraps in a little canola oil in a 400ºF oven until browned, about 15 minutes. Roasting the bones will help give your stock natural color and enhance its flavor.

    Mise en place:
    Mise-en-place for fish stock

    In a large stockpot over low heat, sauté the chopped onion, leek and mushrooms in butter until they become translucent, about 5-10 minutes.

    Saute the vegetables for the base of the fish stock

    Add the roasted fish bones and scraps and cook for about 5 minutes more. Deglaze the pan with dry white wine and reduce until almost dry.

    What kind of dry white wine is best for fish stock?

    Ever notice they never say what kind to use? It’s always the very vague ‘dry white wine’ you’ll see in recipes. I’ve found Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, Noilly Prat vermouth work well. Each has its own flavor, and will affect your end result. But go for the lighter whites, stay away from the sweet whites like Sauternes and Reislings, or oaky whites like Chardonnay.

    Add the roasted fish bones to the vegetables

    Add the water, chopped parsley, peppercorns, thyme and lemon juice. Simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any foam off the surface.

    Skim the stock

    Let cool, then strain the stock through a chinois. Reserve the stock in plastic containers.

    Finished fish stock

    Fish stock be refrigerated for several days, or frozen and used later. Note: do not cover and refrigerate hot stocks or sauces, as they can sour quickly in the fridge — always let them cool before you refrigerate!

    Ingredients
    1000g (2 1/4 pounds) fish heads, bones, tails and scraps
    Canola oil to cover bottom of roasting pan
    28g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
    100g (2/3 cup) chopped white or yellow onion
    100g (1 cup) chopped leek
    128g (1 1/2 cups) chopped white button mushrooms
    200g (3/4 cup) dry white wine
    5000g (1 1/2 gallons) water, to completely cover fish bones
    20g (1/3 cup) chopped parsley
    12 black peppercorns
    60g (4 tablespoons) lemon juice
    5g (5 teaspoons) fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

    Equipment
    Salter digital scale
    Measuring bowls
    Cutting board and kitchen knife
    Large stock pots
    Wooden spoon
    Chinois, strainer or sieve
    Spoon or small strainer for skimming
    Small bowl
    Plastic containers

    Total time: Prep: 15 minutes, Cook: 45 minutes

    Yields: 2-4 quarts of stock, depending on how long you simmer it.

    From the Book:
    6 Fish Stock

    Place the onions, parsley stalks and mushroom trimmings into a pan, add the bones and trimmings of fish, cover with the water and add the wine and lemon juice. Bring to the boil quickly and skim carefully. Allow to simmer very gently for 20 minutes then add the peppercorns and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Pass through a strainer and use as required.

    Notes:
    1) The use of inferior quality white wine will cause the stock to go a grey colour and it is far better to omit the wine altogether rather than use one of doubtful quality.
    2) This stock is used mainly in the preparation of fish sauces; if it is to be used for making Lenten or fish Espagnole the ingredients should be stewed in a little butter before the liquid is added.

    A. Escoffier. Le guide culinaire: the complete guide to modern cookery, H.L. Cracknell & R.J.Kaufmann, transl.

  • 0001. Estouffade, Brown Stock

     

    Recipe for making estouffade, a simple brown stock, at home (Escoffier, 1).

    This brown beef stock is the basis for pretty much all other dark sauces in French cooking. It is used as the base stock in sauce espagnole, one of Escoffier’s five mother sauces…

     

    Estouffade

    Ingredients
    6000g shin of beef on the bone
    6000g knuckle of veal (or lean veal trimmings)
    1 knuckle of raw ham, blanched
    650g fresh pork rind, blanched
    650g carrots, roughly chopped
    650g onion, roughly chopped
    100g fresh parsley
    10g fresh thyme sprigs
    5g whole, fresh bay leaves
    1 clove garlic
    14 litres water

    Equipment
    Salter digital scale
    Measuring bowls
    Cutting board and kitchen knife
    Large stock pots
    Wooden spoon
    Chinois, strainer or sieve
    Spoon or small strainer for skimming
    Small bowl
    Plastic containers

    Total time: Prep: 15 minutes, Cook: 12-15 hours

    Yields: 2-4 quarts of stock, depending on how long you simmer it.

    From the Book:
    1 Estouffade — Brown Stock

    Preparation:
    Bone out the meats. Break the bones small and lightly brown them in the oven. Fry the carrot and onion brown in a little fat. Prepare the stock by placing these bones, vegetables, ham, pork rind and Bouquet garni into a stockpot, add the cold water, bring to the boil, skim and simmer very gently for at least 12 hours keeping the liquid at the same level throughout this time by adding boiling water as required. Cut the meat into very large dice, fry brown in hot fat and place in a pan. Cover with some of the prepared stock and boil until it is reduced to a glaze; repeat this process two or three times. Add the remainder of the stock, bring to the boil, skim to remove all fat and allow to simmer gently until all the flavour has been extracted from the meat. Pass through a strainer and reserve for use.

    Note: When preparing brown stock which includes bones, especially those from beef, it is recommended that the procedure should be in accordance with the above recipe by first preparing a stock from the bones, simmering it gently for 12-15 hours and using it as the liquid for moistening the meat.

    It is incorrect to place all the ingredients in the stockpot and fry them together in fat before adding the water as there will be a danger of over-colouring the ingredients thus spoiling the flavour of the stock. In practice the principle of diffusion is sufficient in itself to colour the stock; this is the most natural and suitable method of obtaining the required colour.

    A. Escoffier. Le guide culinaire: the complete guide to modern cookery, 1921.

  • 0004. Fond Brun de Veau, Brown Veal Stock

    0004. Fond Brun de Veau, Brown Veal Stock

    Recipe for making fond brun de veau, brown veal stock, at home (Escoffier, 4).

    About Veal Stock

    Since 1903, when accomplished chef and successful restaurateur Georges Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935) published Le Guide Culinaire, French cooking has never been the same. Important enough to Escoffier, he listed the recipe for fond brun de veau (“fawn-BROWN-deh-voo”), or brown veal stock, as one of the first recipes in his book. It is le fond, the “foundation,” on which many of his other sauces are based.

    His was the first published, simplified version of much older French recipes, based presumably on those of original star chef Marie-Antoine Carême (1784-1833) and others. I wonder what the oldest, first published reference is to fonds de veau. Anyone out there know? More research must be done!

    This versatile stock can be used in many dishes, and imparts a much richer taste that when using simply plain beef stock. It’s neither sweet, salty, bitter, nor sour — it’s umami. It’s the “very quintessence of veal.”

    What are the basic steps in making your own veal stock?

    1. For a white veal stock, fond blanc de veau (“fawn-BLONK-deh-voo”), simmer the bones, then rinse in cold water to clean. Or, for a brown veal stock, fond brun de veau, roast the bones first.
    2. Barely simmer the bones the first time for many hours (depending on recipe, from 180°F-200°F, never boiling). Strain the bones and save the first stock.
    3. Simmer a second time, making a second weaker stock. Called the remouillage (reh-moo-YAZH), or ‘remi’ for short, in French means “re-wetting.” Strain.
    4. Combine the two.

    Now that doesn’t sound too difficult, does it? You can do it — and it makes your house smell warm and comforting! (That is— if you’re not vegetarian, evangelical vegan, an animal activist,  or juvenile bovine…)

    I’ve made veal stock from Thomas Keller’s multi-day, multi-complicated (but highly detailed) recipe from The French Laundry Cookbook. Then a couple of years later, I made Anthony Bourdain’s recipe from Les Halles Cookbook, and Grant Achatz’s recipe from his Alinea Cookbook. So Escoffier’s is the fourth! Next on the list is Michael Ruhlman’s simplified veal stock recipe from Elements of Cooking, which looks good too. And he is certainly passionate enough about it, writing that “veal stock is the essential. If you could have only one preparation in a book of essentials, veal stock would have to be it.”

    The Escoffier recipe for veal stock is varies from both Keller’s and Achatz’s. Escoffier uses no tomato paste to color his stock, nor pepper, and adds salt! It is a recipe that takes a half day to make. You basically boil the hell out some bones and herbs for six to eight hours.

    Why do you simmer a stock for so long?

    Because bones contain collagen, which when simmered in water forms gelatin. The more gelatin there is in the stock, the more body it will have as the water evaporates, thus the long simmering times. Not only is the flavor extracted and concentrated — so is the gelatin, which gives the stock a natural thickness.

    “Types of bones that are naturally high in cartilage include so-called ‘knuckle bones’ found in the large joints” says Danilo Alfaro in The Basics of Making Stock: Bones, Vegetables & More. This is why bones of younger animals such as veal are so desirable for stocks.

    For a full discourse on making stock, especially veal stock, I highly recommend Michael Ruhlman’s The Elements of Cooking.

    Veal Stock

    I went to Iowa Meat Farms (6041 Mission Gorge Road, San Diego, CA 92120, 619-281-5766) and bought some veal shoulder and bones.

    Veal bones for stock

    The first step in making this stock is to brown the meat and bones in an oven. Roasting them will help give the stock natural color. Add enough canola oil to coat the bottom of a roasting pan, and heat on the stove. Sear the meat until it’s a nice brown, then add the bones. Put the whole thing in a 400ºF oven for 30 minutes, or until the meat and bones have a nice brown color.

    In the bottom of a large stockpot, layer the slices of carrots and onion. Top this with the meat, bones and any remaining roasting juices. Cover and sweat for 15 minutes over low heat.

    Uncover and increase the heat to high. Add a cup of water and reduce to a glaze (until most of the water has evaporated). Add a second cup of water and reduce to a glaze, stirring. Add a third cup of water and reduce to a glaze once more, stirring. As it reduces, make sure to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Everything in the pan should get a darker brown color during this reduction process.

    Add the remainder of the water to cover the bones by at least six inches, and bring to a gentle simmer. If you boil it hard, the stock will go cloudy. This is a NO-NO. Any chef would belittle you for months on end for a transgression like that.

    Simmer for at least six hours. Check it regularly, and skim the foam from its surface. Personally, I like to simmmer my stock for 8-12 hours.

    Veal stock simmering for hours

    Then strain the first stock through a chinois, saving the bones for the second stock, or remouillage..

    Straining the veal stock through a chinois

    Add the bones to a clean stockpot and fill with water, add some more tomato paste, bring to a boil, then simmer for another eight hours. Check it regularly, and skim the top. Strain this second stock through a chinois, and discard the bones.

    First stock:
    Brown Veal Stock

    Second stock:
    Veal Remi

    The third stage is where you combine the two and reduce the sauce until it concentrates into a beautiful brown meaty goodness. Or should that be a beautiful brown saucy goodness?

    First and second stocks are noticeably different in both color and taste…
    Veal stock and remi

    Reserve the stock in plastic containers. Veal stock may be frozen for later use.

    Veal stock substitutions
    If you just don’t want to go to the trouble or expense of making your own from scratch, you can substitute a strong, low-sodium beef stock. Take a beef stock and reduce it down so it’s richer than normal, but make sure to use one with little salt, or this will intensify along with the beef flavor.

    Or, if they have it, buy a box of Wolfgang Puck veal stock from your local butcher, Whole Foods or specialty grocer.

    WARNING: If you substitute, you may incur the wrath of some veal stock purists.

     

    Escoffier Fond de Veau

    Ingredients
    3000g veal shoulder or shin, deboned and tied
    2500g veal bones, cut into 2-inch chunks
    canola oil
    300g sliced carrots
    200g sliced onions
    2 fresh bay leaves
    2 fresh thyme sprigs
    100g parsley
    6000g (1.5 gallons) water
    20g sea salt

    Equipment
    Salter digital scale
    Measuring bowls
    Cutting board and kitchen knife
    Large stock pots
    Wooden spoon
    Chinois, strainer or sieve
    Spoon or small strainer for skimming
    Small bowl
    Plastic containers

    Total time: 16 hours

    Yields: 2-4 quarts of veal stock, depending on how much you reduce it.