If you’re a regular reader you’ll know I love making stock and using it in my recipes. Making stock is like culinary meditation for me because there are no fixed rules, you can take your time, the house smells amazing as it cooks and it’s the tastiest way to avoid food waste so you’re doing good for the planet. All these things make me feel good. Homemade stock has flavour and nutrition so whatever you use it in you instantly add all that flavour and nutrition. So what is stock good for?
Treating a Cold
When you have a cold you need to drink as much as possible to unblock congestion then you need to replace the nutrition lost to your body fighting off germs. Warm fluids are best because they improve circulation. So combine the liquid, warmth and nutrition in broth and it becomes obvious why stock is a champion for cold recovery. Three of my favourite broth based dishes for a cold are: Orange Chicken, Tortellini in Broth and Salmon and Asparagus with Noodles.
Healthy Diet
Stock is very low in calories but very high in nutrients and minerals, and bone stocks (beef and chicken) are also high in collagen and protein. Because liquid is easy for your body to digest all the benefits of stock are absorbed quickly by your digestive tract getting. Stock is a tasty way to get all these benefits for very few calories so it’s a great addition to your diet. Regular dishes in my weekday dishes are: Chicken and Steamed Dumplings, Italian Wedding Soup, and Chinese Beef Noodle Soup.
The Great Trio of Stocks
I always have stock in the fridge and it’s usually one of the three classic stocks: Chicken Stock, Vegetable Stock or Beef Stock. For all three of these you need vegetables so don’t throw away vegetables scraps, instead pop them into a Tupperware container or plastic bag and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. Always store stock in sterilised jars (simply pour boiling water into a clear jar shortly before decanting the stock into them) and it will keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 weeks.
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