Like most professional cooks, Stephan Juliusburger is bullish on stocks.
"I usually have seven or eight kinds on hand at home," says Mr. Juliusburger, who lives in Dallas, Texas. "I freeze them in ice cube trays, then store them in Ziploc bags -- a trick I learned from Heloise.
"When I cook, I just grab a couple of cubes."
He says stock cubes pay dividends in flavor when added to tomato sauces and gravies, even pasta dishes. "Brush concentrated stocks on roasting meats and meatloaf," he suggests. "Poach meats in light stocks for cold plates and salads."
Stocks for use as soup bases are frozen in larger containers, and sometimes Mr. Juliusburger combines flavors.
"There are a lot of great European soups that mix beef and chicken stocks," he says.
Mr. Juliusburger makes stock in big batches. "My theory is that stock is not something you want to make every week," he says. "I like to make enough to last awhile."
His recipe below makes almost 2 gallons. You can cut down the recipe proportionately, but plan to make a new batch before you run out completely.
"Add what you have left from the last batch to the new one," he says. "Your stocks will get fuller and richer over time."
Basic chicken stock
Makes 1 1/2 to 2
10 pounds chicken bones, breasts and backs (or 3 whole chickens, quartered)
3 medium carrots
4 stalks celery
2 medium leeks
1 medium onion
1 bulb garlic, halved (optional)
10 whole black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon basil
Rinse chicken under running water and place in stock pot.
Coarsely chop -- but do not peel -- the vegetables. Add to the pot with seasonings. (Do not add salt; it is unnecessary and, through reduction, could cause dishes stock is used in to taste salty.)
Cover all ingredients with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 4 to 5 hours. Do not stir; it will cause the stock to become cloudy and muddy the flavor.
Remove pot from heat. Use tongs or ladle to remove large solids, then strain liquid through a fine sieve. Discard vegetables and bones; if using quartered chicken, allow to cool slightly, then pull meat from the bone and save for use in soups, stew or salad.
For a lighter stock: For use in dishes where clarity is important, such as cream sauces and gravies, peel onion and carrots, remove celery leaves and use only the white part of leeks.
