Publish date: Thursday, 20 November 2025
Estimated read time: 8 minutes
Stock is the backbone of honest cooking and the easiest sustainability win. One pot turns scraps into flavor, trims sodium, and powers fast meals all week—especially if you cook low-carb.
The Chef’s Freezer “Scrap Map”
Keep two labeled bags in the freezer:
- Aromatics Bag (veg): onion skins & ends (no mold), leek greens, carrot peels/tops, celery bases, mushroom stems, tomato cores, herb stems.
- Umami Bag (boosters): roasted chicken bones, wings, feet; pork bones; parmesan rinds; dried shiitake stems; kombu ends; shrimp shells.
Avoid: beet skins (muddy color), lots of cabbage/broccoli (sulfur), strongly bitter greens. Rinse salty rinds quickly.
Baseline Ratios (clear, repeatable)
Light Chicken Stock (gelatin-friendly)
- Bones: 1 kg (roasted or raw; feet add body)
- Cold water: 2.0–2.2 L (just to cover)
- Aromatics: 200 g total (onion:carrot:celery ≈ 2:1:1)
- Peppercorns: 5–8
- Bay leaves: 2
Simmer: 3–4 hours at a bare tremble, never rolling boil. Skim as needed.
Vegetable Scrap Stock (clean & fast)
- Veg scraps: 1 kg mixed
- Cold water: 2.0 L
- Peppercorns: 5
- Bay leaves: 1
Simmer: 45–60 minutes; strain before bitterness develops.
Pressure Cooker Option (weekday speed)
- Chicken: High pressure 45 minutes, natural release 15.
- Vegetable: High pressure 12 minutes, quick release.
Clarity rule: Start cold, don’t stir after simmer begins, and never let it boil hard.
Method (unfussy and scalable)
- Rinse & load: Rinse bones/scraps; cover with measured cold water.
- Heat gently: Bring to a quiver; skim.
- Add aromatics: At first skim, add veg, pepper, bay.
- Hold the line: Maintain the barest simmer for the time above.
- Strain & chill: Through a fine sieve; cool to room temp within 1 hour; chill ≤4 °C.
- Defat & portion: Lift fat cap for sauces; portion stock in 250–500 ml containers or ice trays.
Safety & Shelf Life (non-negotiables)
- Cooling: Room temp to fridge in ≤1 hour (shallow pans help).
- Fridge: Up to 4 days. Reboil once if needed, but avoid repeated cycles.
- Freezer: Up to 3 months (label date + type).
- No salt in the pot: Season per dish for control.
How to Use It (low-carb, fast)
- 5-Minute Pan Sauces: Deglaze pan with 120 ml stock; reduce by half; mount with butter; finish with vinegar or lemon.
- Cauli “Risotto”: Sweat shallot; add riced cauliflower; moisten with hot stock in small additions; finish with parmesan or olive oil.
- Mushroom Shirataki Soup: Stock + sautéed mushrooms + shirataki + scallions; a spoon of tare for depth.
- Glaze for Veg: Reduce stock to a syrup; toss roasted eggplant or asparagus; finish with herbs.
- Poaching Liquid: Use light stock for chicken breast or fish; rest, slice, serve with salsa verde.
Advanced Boosters (optional but mighty)
- Kombu Steep: 5–7 g kombu, steep at 60–70 °C for 30 minutes, then remove before simmering (clean umami, no slime).
- Roast First: Roast bones and onions at 220 °C until deep brown for a “fonds brun” profile.
- Gelatin Check: A good chicken stock gels when cold; if not, reduce gently or add more feet/wings next batch.
Cost, Waste & Taste Gains
- Waste diverted: Onion skins, bones, herb stems → stock instead of bin.
- Flavor density: Homemade stock delivers body without excess sodium.
- Costs down: Scraps + water + time beat boxes—especially when portioned and frozen.
FAQs
Why is my stock cloudy?
Hard boiling, stirring, or too much agitation. Keep it lazy.
Can I mix proteins?
Yes, but poultry + shellfish can clash. Keep “clean lanes” unless you want surf-and-turf funk.
Parmesan rinds okay?
Yes—brief simmer near the end for savory depth; remove before storing.
Keto/low-carb friendly?
Absolutely. Stock adds body without carbs; watch add-ins like carrots or wine reductions.
Printable “Light Chicken Stock” (Chef Card)
Yield: ~1.5–1.7 L
Active time: 15 minutes | Total: 3–4 hours
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken bones (wings/backs/feet best)
- 2.1 L cold water
- 150 g onion ends, 30 g carrot peels, 20 g celery bases
- 2 bay leaves, 6 peppercorns
Steps
- Cover bones with water; heat gently and skim.
- Add aromatics; simmer at a quiver 3–4 hours.
- Strain fine; chill fast; defat and portion.
Allergens: Dairy if using parmesan rinds; otherwise none.
Equipment: Stockpot or pressure cooker, fine sieve, shallow pans.
Nutrition (estimate, per 250 ml): 30 kcal | 6 g protein | 0 g fat | 0 g carbs
See you next week!
