This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
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.
27 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
Add a bay leaf
Bay leaf: small in size, but big in flavor. You'll find it in hundreds of recipes, and it's often added to cooking meat, in a sauce or broth, usually accompanied by other herbs or products. It's a staple of Provençal, Mediterranean and Oriental cuisine, but not the only one. Usually, in a...July 31th 20256365
Parsley stems
Parsley, whether curly or flat, is a delicious ingredient in many recipes, where it is used both raw and cooked. When used raw, in a salad for example, where it always provides, alone or with other herbs, a remarkable freshness, only the leaves are kept. And when used cooked?July 28th 2025835 13
A drizzle of olive oil
Often in a recipe, you have to "baste" vegetables, for example, before sending them to the oven. What the author means by this is that you need to put oil on top of the vegetables to cook them in the oven. Typically, we just quickly drizzle oil over the vegetables, hoping not to miss any, but...July 13th 20251,1905
Always secure your cutting board
When using a cutting board, it's very important that it's stable and doesn't move while you're cutting, for safety's sake. Boards have a natural tendency to slide on the work surface, but here are 2 ways to block them effectively.July 1st 20251,2125
Cherry clafoutis, with or without pits?
When it comes to cherry clafoutis recipes, there's often a camp of those who argue that you absolutely have to leave the stones in because it tastes better, and the other camp (myself included) who prefer cherries without stones, which makes a much more pleasant clafoutis to eat. But is it true...June 29th 20251,0945
Other pages you may also like
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
This is a question that you may well have asked yourself and which I will attempt to answer. In France the two trades of "boulangerie" (bakery) and "pâtisserie" (patisserie and confectionery) have always been quite distinct, but where exactly do the boundaries lie? .February 7th 2017129 K 14.1
Kitchen ovens
You certainly have one in your kitchen, an oven, the essential tool for all kinds of cooking, whether in the kitchen of course, but also in pastry, bakery, pizza, and many others. Here is some information on its structure and operation.May 16th 202030 K4.4
The color of the bread crumb
When you go to buy bread, at your baker's, at the time of the choice, if you hesitate of course, you will undoubtedly be very sensitive to the color of the crust, and you will be right. The color of the crust, from golden, to sometimes very dark, deep brown almost black, depending on the maturity...April 30th 202218 K4.6
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 201763 K 24.2
A few tips for effective kneading at home
When you have to knead dough for bread or some other recipe, you may well use a food processor or the type of machine known as a stand mixer. The best-known brands are Kenwood and KitchenAid. They are useful tools, but here are a few tips to help you get the best out of them.June 23th 2021277 K 23.7
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.