Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and The... (37 page)

BONITO BROTH

Makes 2 quarts

about 1 cup shaved dried bonito (available in Asian markets)

2 quarts cold filtered water

¼ cup vinegar

This is an easy version of fish stock from Japan. Place all ingredients in a stainless steel pot, bring to a boil and skim. Cover and simmer for several hours. There is no need to strain this stock as the bonito flakes disintegrate in the broth.

SHRIMP STOCK

about 4 ounces small dried shrimp (available from Asian markets)

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or cold-pressed peanut oil

1 cup dry white wine or vermouth

2 quarts cold filtered water

¼ cup vinegar

1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, peeled

3 small pieces lemon rind

several sprigs fresh thyme, tied together

All Asian markets sell tiny dried shrimp, which are a staple of Oriental cuisine. Generally, the smaller the shrimp, the more expensive and the better the quality. Buy shrimp as small as you can afford, preferably without added salt.

Heat olive oil or peanut oil in a large stainless steel pot. Add shrimp and saute for several minutes over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. (Sauteing in oil helps remove the fishy taste.) Add wine and bring to a rapid boil. Add cold water and vinegar, bring to a boil and skim. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat, cover and simmer for several hours.

Strain stock into storage containers for the refrigerator or freezer, reserving the contents of the strainer. Refrigerate stock until cold and remove any fat that congeals on the surface before transferring to the freezer for long-term storage

When the shrimp have cooled, pick out the carrot pieces, garlic cloves, lemon rind and thyme. The cooked shrimp may now be used to make shrimp butter or fermented shrimp paste (p).e 158.)

Variation: Crawfish or Prawn Stock

Use
shells and heads from about 2 pounds of fresh crawfish or prawns
instead of dried shrimp. Place in batches in food processor and process briefly to break shells up into small pieces. Proceed from beginning of the recipe.

The value of gelatin in the treatment of diseases of the digestive system has long been recognized. Uffelmam, in 1891, referred to the use of gelatin in certain cases of gastric catarrh, especially in hyperacidity. Weil, Lumiere and Pehu found, by direct clinical practice, that gelatin acted better and more rapidly than bismuth and tannin and their derivatives in remedying infant diarrhea, which had not developed as far as infant cholera. . .. These workers believed that gelatin acted to cause a mechanical neutralization of the intestinal poisons. . .. Mann was impressed with the value of gelatin in the cure of colitis. Herzberg pointed out that he had employed gelatin, in the simple form of a concentrated calves' foot broth, with excellent results in diuretic condition of children and adults, in cases of abdominal typhus and in dysentery. N. R. Gotthoffer
Gelatin in Nutrition and Medicine

American cooking, tumbling as fast as it is toward a totally takeout cuisine, retains two potent images that can still revivify our appetite for good, homemade food: baked goods, which stand for the gift of pleasure, and meat-based broths, from which all the kitchen's healing goodness flows. Not too long ago, this image reflected a truth: a continuous river of broth spilled from the stockpot to inspirit soups, enhance pasta and rice, baste the roast, sauce the vegetables and provide a sop for bread. And, most important of all, its aroma filled the house, cosseting all who inhaled it with deep well-being, as if the very air were filled with nurture. The chef may have transmogrified his meat waters into gold; the housewife transmuted them into a far more essential nutrient: love. John Thorne
Outlaw Cook

The essential premise of stock is a good one: letting nothing go to waste. This means, first, finding a way to eat animals that, while edible, have not been raised strictly to be eaten. Once, not so long ago, much of the meat served on all but the tables of the rich came from animals that had already led useful lives as beasts of burden or wool producers, or careerists who had sent eggs and milk to the table before arriving there themselves.

Furthermore, in those days, because of the vexing problems of spoilage, animals were slaughtered locally, sometimes even at home, supplying ample trimmings and bones (not to mention offal). A cuisine based on stock begins with such butcher's leavings—bones, especially, but also cuts of meat too tough to eat. Butchers then had whole carcasses to contend with, not cartons of selected parts. To keep the profitable cuts moving they had to shift all the rest, too, for such price as they could get. John Thorne
Outlaw Cook

BEEF STOCK

about 4 pounds beef marrow and knuckle bones

1 calves foot, cut into pieces (optional)

3 pounds meaty rib or neck bones

4 or more quarts cold filtered water

½ cup vinegar

3 onions, coarsely chopped

3 carrots, coarsely chopped

3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped

several sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together

1 teaspoon dried green peppercorns, crushed

l bunch parsley

Good beef stock must be made with several sorts of bones: knuckle bones and feet impart large quantities of gelatin to the broth; marrow bones impart flavor and the particular nutrients of bone marrow; and meaty rib or neck bones add color and flavor.

Place the knuckle and marrow bones and optional calves foot in a very large pot with vinegar and cover with water. Let stand for one hour. Meanwhile, place the meaty bones in a roasting pan and brown at 350 degrees in the oven. When well browned, add to the pot along with the vegetables. Pour the fat out of the roasting pan, add cold water to the pan, set over a high flame and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen up coagulated juices. Add this liquid to the pot. Add additional water, if necessary, to cover the bones; but the liquid should come no higher than within one inch of the rim of the pot, as the volume expands slightly during cooking. Bring to a boil. A large amount of scum will come to the top, and it is important to remove this with a spoon. After you have skimmed, reduce heat and add the thyme and crushed peppercorns.

Simmer stock for at least 12 and as long as 72 hours. Just before finishing, add the parsley and simmer another 10 minutes.

You will now have a pot of rather repulsive-looking brown liquid containing globs of gelatinous and fatty material. It doesn't even smell particularly good. But don't despair. After straining you will have a delicious and nourishing clear broth that forms the basis for many other recipes in this book.

Remove bones with tongs or a slotted spoon. Strain the stock into a large bowl. Let cool in the refrigerator and remove the congealed fat that rises to the top. Transfer to smaller containers and to the freezer for long-term storage.

Note: The marrow may be removed from the bones and spread on whole grain sourdough bread. Your dog will love the leftover meat and bones. The congealed fat can be used to make
pemmican
or put outside to feed the birds.

Variation: Lamb Stock

Use
lamb bones
, especially lamb neck bones and riblets. This makes a delicious stock.

Variation: Venison Stock

Use
venison meat and bones
. Be sure to use the feet of the deer and a section of antler if possible.

Broth isn't much: a chicken back, some parsley sprigs, a carrot, a celery stalk and time, of course, to bring the flavors out. And after hours of simmering, its life begins, for broth is not a finished food—it is just the start of culinary magic. And it is the crux of all cooking. With it, the sauce is a snap and the soup is practically made.

The words "broth" and "stock" are used interchangeably in many cookbooks, and for good reason, because the differences between the two are hair-splittingly small. In general usage "broth" is a home-cooking term, while "stock" is the province of professional kitchens. Broth is made from spits and spots of leftovers, and its nature changes according to what's on hand. Stock follows a prescribed formula. It is made on a regular basis and forms the groundwork for all of the sauces, soups and simmerings that are the mainstays of a classic kitchen.

There is yet another distinction. The meaty element of stock is predominantly bone, while broth is typically made with meat. This difference changes the finished products in two significant ways. The large proportion of bone gives stock a more gelatinous texture and greater clarity. Broths tend to be thinner and cloudier.

Essential to all broths is starting with cold water. As the ingredients warm in the water, their fibers open slowly, releasing their juices to add flavor. Off flavors can result if the broth is not skimmed.

The broth must be kept at a bare simmer throughout the cooking process to ensure clarity. Andrew Schloss
The Washington Post

CHICKEN STOCK

1 whole free-range chicken or 2 to 3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones and wings

gizzards from one chicken (optional)

feet from the chicken (optional)

4 quarts cold filtered water

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped

1 bunch parsley

If you are using a whole chicken, cut off the wings and remove the neck, fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity. By all means, use chicken feet if you can find them—they are full of gelatin. (Jewish folklore considers the addition of chicken feet the secret to successful broth.) Even better, use a whole chicken, with the head on. These may be found in Oriental markets. Farm-raised, free-range chickens give the best results. Many battery-raised chickens will not produce stock that gels.

Cut chicken parts into several pieces. (If you are using a whole chicken, remove the neck and wings and cut them into several pieces.) Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 24 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.

Remove whole chicken or pieces with a slotted spoon. If you are using a whole chicken, let cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass. Reserve for other uses, such as chicken salads, enchiladas, sandwiches or curries. (The skin and smaller bones, which will be very soft, may be given to your dog or cat.) Strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.