Perpetual stock
It's something you have probably have done yourself: cooked or pre-cooked vegetables before adding them to a recipe. This is almost always done the same way: peel the chosen vegetables (carrots, for example), cut them up, boil them in salted water (using a tablespoon or so of coarse salt per litre), then cool them rapidly in cold water to stop the cooking. They are then ready to use in the recipe.
25 K 5/5 (12 reviews)
Last modified on: November 22th 2016
Perpetual stock
This very simple way of cooking (the French call this “English style” ) not only cooks the vegetables, but leaves us with something else: a vegetable stock. As they cook, the vegetables release some of their flavour into the water. So, if you have several different kinds of vegetables to cook the same way, you will end up with an excellent stock which is far too good to throw away! To make use of it, simply let it cool, then filter it into a bottle (or other container) with a lid that seals well and keep it in the fridge.
Next time you need to boil vegetables again, instead of using a pan of fresh water, re-use your stock, and your vegetables will taste even better (add more water and/or salt if necessary).
Each time you repeat the operation, the richer and more flavoursome your stock will become. This doesn't only work with vegetables; you can use it to cook meat as well – which will improve your stock even further with a stronger flavour.
A few guidelines:
- If you are poaching seafood, the flavours are distinctive, so it is better to keep a separate stock on the go, rather than mix “surf” (vegetables + fish or shellfish), and “turf” (vegetables + meat).
- Even in the fridge, the stock won't keep very long, so if you do not use it within the next week to 10 days, either freeze it or boil it up again on its own.
- When you are making soup, use your stock rather than plain water (or top up with water) – you will be amazed at the difference in flavour.
- If you boil potatoes in the stock, peel them first, as the skins will do nothing for the flavour, other than add an unpleasant “earthy” taste.
- If you are making stock for the first time, you don't need to start it from scratch. Add ½ an onion (peeled) to the salted water and, if possible, a bouquet garni, or at least a handful of leek greens and a spring of thyme to give it a head start. Even better, you can start by making a more sophisticated version, a real vegetable stock.
- Don't be too quick to condemn commercially available stock cubes – they are practical and can be a good way to start a perpetual stock, especially if they are organic, but do check the label carefully to see what is in them.
To sum up: Do not throw away cooking water used to boil vegetables or poach fish or meat - this is no longer just water; it is now a delicious stock that can be perpetually reused and added to: the ultimate in kitchen recycling.
Stock (or bouillon) has long been a cornerstone of French cuisine. It is worth remembering that to the French, “bouillon” is a familiar term for a basic popular eatery. Back in the 17th and 18th centuries, in the streets of Paris and other large towns, there were little shops or stalls known as “marmites perpétuelles” (perpetual pots) where huge cauldrons containing a bouillon of vegetables and meats (mostly poultry), simmered away day and night over low fires, and from which one could buy a bowlful at any hour of the day. Each time a bowlful was served, more water was added to the pot and more vegetables and meat were added to replace what was taken out. After all those hours of slow cooking, the resulting mixed broth had a robust and quite unique flavour.
Next time you need to boil vegetables again, instead of using a pan of fresh water, re-use your stock, and your vegetables will taste even better (add more water and/or salt if necessary).
Each time you repeat the operation, the richer and more flavoursome your stock will become. This doesn't only work with vegetables; you can use it to cook meat as well – which will improve your stock even further with a stronger flavour.
A few guidelines:
- If you are poaching seafood, the flavours are distinctive, so it is better to keep a separate stock on the go, rather than mix “surf” (vegetables + fish or shellfish), and “turf” (vegetables + meat).
- Even in the fridge, the stock won't keep very long, so if you do not use it within the next week to 10 days, either freeze it or boil it up again on its own.
- When you are making soup, use your stock rather than plain water (or top up with water) – you will be amazed at the difference in flavour.
- If you boil potatoes in the stock, peel them first, as the skins will do nothing for the flavour, other than add an unpleasant “earthy” taste.
- If you are making stock for the first time, you don't need to start it from scratch. Add ½ an onion (peeled) to the salted water and, if possible, a bouquet garni, or at least a handful of leek greens and a spring of thyme to give it a head start. Even better, you can start by making a more sophisticated version, a real vegetable stock.
- Don't be too quick to condemn commercially available stock cubes – they are practical and can be a good way to start a perpetual stock, especially if they are organic, but do check the label carefully to see what is in them.
To sum up: Do not throw away cooking water used to boil vegetables or poach fish or meat - this is no longer just water; it is now a delicious stock that can be perpetually reused and added to: the ultimate in kitchen recycling.
Stock (or bouillon) has long been a cornerstone of French cuisine. It is worth remembering that to the French, “bouillon” is a familiar term for a basic popular eatery. Back in the 17th and 18th centuries, in the streets of Paris and other large towns, there were little shops or stalls known as “marmites perpétuelles” (perpetual pots) where huge cauldrons containing a bouillon of vegetables and meats (mostly poultry), simmered away day and night over low fires, and from which one could buy a bowlful at any hour of the day. Each time a bowlful was served, more water was added to the pot and more vegetables and meat were added to replace what was taken out. After all those hours of slow cooking, the resulting mixed broth had a robust and quite unique flavour.
Lasts posts
Your oven in "proofer" mode
In the bakery, proofing is a crucial stage in the process of making light, plump breads and pastries. During proofing, the yeast ferments the sugars present in the dough, releasing carbon dioxide which forms bubbles. This process allows the dough to swell and aerate, guaranteeing a soft, light...September 27th 20243,1445
The right size of zucchini
When you buy zucchini at the market, you're often offered a wide variety of sizes, from very small to very large. But which ones to choose? Here are a few tips.September 9th 20243,4875
The (small) miracle of béchamel sauce
Making a béchamel sauce is going to confront you with a little miracle that happens every time: You pour milk over a roux, it's very liquid, you stir over a low heat, and then all of a sudden, miracle, the sauce sets, it thickens, you've got your béchamel. Let's see what happened.August 27th 20243,9434
Pastry doughs
To make a classic tart, you'll need a pastry of course, and if you don't use puff pastry (normally reserved for "fine", in french, tarts), you'll have a choice of shortcrust, shortbread, sweetcrust or "à foncer". Let's take a look at the differences between these four.August 16th 20244,0184.4
A few tips on homemade ice cream
If you make ice cream at home, which is a very, very good idea, you'll find a few tips and tricks in this article that should make your life easier. Combined with the site's ice cream recipes, they'll help you improve your production, to the delight of everyone around you, children first.August 11th 20244,0615
Other pages you may also like
Egg yolks and caster sugar
We often come across recipes where we need to mix egg yolks with caster sugar. This would appear to be a very ordinary and simple thing to do but, be warned, these two ingredients can behave oddly together.February 15th 201875 K 24.3
What can I use for blind baking a pastry case?
When it comes to home-made desserts, tarts are always popular. They can be divided into two basic types: those cooked with their filling, such as an apricot and almond cream tart, and those where the filling is added after baking the pastry case, such as a strawberry tart or chocolate tart. For...May 2nd 2017106 K4.5
Candied fruits: don't get ripped off
Do you like candied fruit? You might like to nibble a handful or add it to a recipe, like a classic fruit cake or delicious Italian specialities like panettone or sicilian epiphany pie.June 21th 201757 K 24.2
The golden-brown finish on puff pastry
Let's take a look at the tricky matter of producing puff pastry with an attractive, golden-brown finish. French pastry chefs call this "dorure" (literally, "gilding"). Behind this quirky term there lurks a real problem (and the solution): when using puff pastry (pâte feuilletée) for a pie, or...February 8th 201842 K 24.6
The beautiful story of the croissants
As you may have already noticed, cooking, baking and pastry-making are full of stories or legends, usually very romantic, about this or that product or recipe. This is often the case for named recipes, for example tarte tatin, peach melba, paris-brest and many others, but it also applies to very...October 10th 201814 K5
Post a comment or question
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.