If you were in Perth last Thursday did you get caught out with that sudden taste of winter weather we had?   I certainly did, and probably more so than most, as it was the kids School House Swimming Carnival that morning.   As the kids were finishing their races, the rain settled in and the thunder started.  I hadn’t organised dinner and after being out in the cold & getting a wee bit damp, I really felt like soup!   And thought the kids would love it after shivering their you-know-what’s off all morning!

I wracked my brain for any stock I had in the freezer… yes, a fish stock that I’d made a couple of months prior.  Not ideal, as hadn’t made soup with fish stock before, but with a bit of left over coconut milk from the weekend in the fridge, lemons, tamari and coriander from the markets – an Asian Inspired soup sprung to mind!   We’d had meat dishes already in the week, so something relatively light, warming and nourishing was perfect.   It was delicious and so simple and quick to prepare and the kids happily went off to school with leftovers the next day!

Home made bone stock ready to go in the freezer or fridge – for me – is convenience food, with nutrients to go go!    I always have some tucked away in the freezer, ‘for a rainy day’ so I can whip up a quick, delicious soup or one pot type meal with cell loving goodness and nourishment.

Home made bone stock (or broth) is another Hero of the food world.   Most food cooked on the bone is going to be better for us, and then stock that’s gently simmered for hours, with the minerals gently leached from the bones, has those healing and medicinal properties amplified.  Use any bones, preferably organic and grass fed, otherwise if not certified organic, as toxic free as possible and grass fed for extra cell loving goodness.

A basic soup recipe:  I had been out all morning, hadn’t put my mind to dinner, but all i really needed was a few leftover veggies, flavouring eg onion, spices and my stock.   I’ve posted a recipe for home made chicken stock previously, you can find it here.   Replace the chicken for lamb, beef or fish bones.  For anyone not familiar with making a basic soup, here are some tips:

Quantity:  a family of 4.

Preparation Time:  about 5 minutes

Cooking Time:  10 – 20 minutes (depending on the vegetables used)

What:

• 4 cups Home made bone stock.  If it’s frozen, place it in a bowl of hot water, it will defrost enough to get out of the jar in about 15-20 mins (while your prepping & sautéing veggies).
• 1 Onion or Leek (which ever is in season)
• Add 3 or 4 cups of vegetables (depending how thick you’d like the soup).  Leftover vegetables eg Pumpkin and/or sweet potato are wonderful, zucchini, mushrooms, silver beet, spinach etc.
• 1/2 tsp salt

How:

• Saute onion (or leek) until it softens.
• If you have garlic, ginger & spices eg turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, add them at the last minute to release the flavours and gently cook.
• Add 4 cups of stock and the salt.  Tip:  I used about 2.5 cups of stock & topped up with filtered water & about 3/4 cup of coconut milk I had leftover, to make up the 4 cups.
• Bring to the boil and then gently simmer for about 15 – 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.   If using less starchy vegetables eg zucchini, spinach or silver beet, the cooking time will be quicker eg 5 or 10 minutes!

Flavour & Nutrient Enhancers to add:

• 1 tbsp dulse or other sea vegetables
• Tamari (similar to soy sauce and wheat free)
• fresh herbs from the garden:  parsley, basil, coriander, oregano
• Organic cream

Bone stock is incredibly healing, particularly for our digestive systems.   If you suffer from digestive discomfort or a related illness, check out these ideas on how to enjoy it more regularly:

• in sauces or gravies
• pilaf dishes
• porridge
• cooking grains
• & for something really medicinal & healing – sip a warm glass of stock with your meal or at anytime of the day.

Now I’d love to hear from you.  If you’re already making your own bone stocks & soups, what tips do  you have to share  with us?  

Properly prepared meat stocks are extremely nutritious, containing the minerals of bone, cartilage, marrow and vegetables as electrolytes, a form that is easy to assimilate by the body.  Acidic wine or vinegar added during cooking helps to draw minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium and potassium, into the broth.  The gelatin produced from home-made stock acts as an aid to digestion and has been used successfully in the treatment of many intestinal disorders.

In folk wisdom, rich chicken broth – the famous jewish penicillin – is a valued remedy for the flu.  Modern research has confirmed that broth helps prevent and mitigate infectious diseases.

The wonderful thing about stocks is that, along with conferring many health benefits, they also add immeasurably to the flavour of our food.   It is worth putting time and effort into making meat stocks on a regular basis.  Your family will  benefit, and you will earn a reputation of an excellent cook.

If your stock has lots of gelatin you will see some thickening, even to the point of jelling completely when refrigerated.

Stock will keep for about 7 days in the fridge.  It can also be made in bulk and frozen, (use glass jars, leaving enough room for expansion eg 1-2 cm).  If space is a premium reduce the stock further to a concentrate.  Then thaw and add some water.

Inspired by Sally Fallon, ‘Nourishing Traditions’

‘Indeed, stock is everything in cooking… without it nothing can be done’  

~ Auguste Escoffier, French Chef 1846 – 1935

A short video demonstration

Click on the play button below to view the process step x step.

The Recipe

For those of us who make stock regularly, check out the variations at the end of the recipe for some different flavours.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Quantity:  Approximately 1 – 2 litres

What

• 2.5kg lamb bones (especially lamb neck bones) including 1 – 2 marrow bones
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or 1/4 cup white wine
• 2-3 celery sticks
• 3 large carrots
• 1 onion, unpeeled and quartered
• 2 bay leaves
• several sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bunch parsley

How

• Put all the ingredients in a large stock pot, except the parsley
• add enough water (preferably filtered) to cover the ingredients (about 3 litres. The liquid should reach no higher than 2.5cm to the top)
• bring to the boil
• a large amount of scum will come to the surface, remove this
• then reduce heat to a low simmer, covered or uncovered for 8 – 12 hours
• continue to remove any scum regularly.
• just before finishing add the parsley and simmer another 10 minutes.
• strain the stock and discard the solids

Now just include it in your favourite soups, sauces and other recipes.   Then with anything left, pop it into glass jars with a 5cm gap from the top and freeze.

Variations

• For a deeper flavour, brown the bones over a low heat or roast in an oven before adding the other ingredients.
• For an asian flavour cook with ginger and lemongrass
• Add tomato puree at the end of roasting for a richer flavour.
• Replace lamb bones with beef or chicken. Chicken requires less cooking time eg 3 – 5 hours.
• Cook it in your slow cooker