Hey there, fellow food adventurers! Let's talk stock. For the longest time, I thought making veggie stock was some kind of culinary Everest – a time-consuming, complicated mission best left to the pros. I even had a disastrous first attempt where I chopped everything into a ridiculously tiny dice (don't ask!). But oh, how wrong I was!
Fast forward to now, and I'm here to tell you that homemade stock is a breeze, a total flavour superhero, and a way to know exactly what's going into your food. Forget those commercial cubes with their mysterious 'dehydrated stock' claims and who knows what else. I mean, seriously, they put beetle secretions on lemons to make them shiny! Shiny lemons!? Who even asked for that?
The Lazy Chef's Secret: Rough and Ready Veg
The secret? Ditch the fancy dicing! We're all about 'rough chop' here. Before we begin though, be sure to wash your veg like you mean it. We don't want any sandy surprises in our stock, that stuff loves hiding in leeks and celery.
Our Super Simple Stock Recipe
So grab these ingredients:
- 3 carrots, scrubbed (no need to peel!)
- 6 celery stalks, washed
- ½ an onion, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed (skin on is fine if they are clean)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Small bunch of fresh parsley
- 1 leek, green part only, well-washed
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 whole allspice berries
- ½ tsp peppercorns
- Plenty of water
Let's Get Cooking!
- Give all those veggies a good wash. We're not doing surgery here, just get the dirt off.
- Quarter the onion (peeled or unpeeled, your call) and give the garlic a good bash with the side of your knife.
- Roughly chop the carrots, celery, and leek. Again, no need for perfection.
- Toss everything into a big pot. Add enough water to cover the veggies. The less water you use, the more concentrated your stock will be (meaning you can dilute it later).
- Bring it to a simmer, pop on a lid, and let it bubble away gently for 1.5 hours.
- Let it cool, then strain through a sieve. Store your flavorful liquid gold in a jar or container in the fridge for about 3-4 days.
Why Bother?
Because the flavour is INCREDIBLE, you know exactly what's in it, and it's a fantastic way to use up those veggie scraps you might otherwise toss. Plus, it makes your kitchen smell amazing!
So, there you have it – a no-fuss, flavour-packed vegetable stock that will elevate your soups, stews, and risottos from good to wow. Happy cooking, friends!
Pro Tip:
Don't throw away the cooked veggies, though they have little flavour left they can be composted or added to soup as bulk.