You would probably be shocked by the level of precision that goes into a stock specifically meant to be reduced for sauce-making.
In no case, is the stock pot a garbage bin for this and that. Good stock is one of the most expensive preparations in the kitchen.
Home Cooks and other people on a budget are going to use their roast carcasses, and scraps for stock.
Some people save their shrimp and lobster shells, asparagus scraps, and other odd and ends in the freezer for stock making later.
I would not expect an upscale French restaurant or some other fancy restaurantās kitchen to do this. If I am paying $19 plus for a bowl of French Onion Soup, I hope they are making a quality stock rather than taking short cuts.
I only made chicken stock and turkey stock from leftover roasts until this year when I have made some broth and soups with fresh chickens for the purpose of making a really good soup.
With family restaurants and diners, the stock making and soup making sometimes is made with the odds and ends to help economize.
It depends on the type of restaurant.
Historically, soup has been a way to stretch food and feed more people on a tight budget. Maybe not all soups, but the type involving a big vat.
Itās some sort of paradox if stock has become one of the most expensive things to make in a restaurant kitchen.
Iām quite aware, and rather surprised at your assumption I thought a stock pot is a garbage bin.
There is a difference between making a demi-glace for sauces and a pot of stock made at home to be used for soup or general cooking. Iām pretty sure most of the posters here are aware of this.
The stock pot for a home cook is hardly a āgarbage binā but rather a good and economical use of bones and veggie trimmings that might otherwise be wasted.
And yes, Iāve made a demi-glace with veal bones once, and understand just how labor intensive it is. That is something Iāll happily purchase pre-made at a gourmet shop or save for the restaurant to use in a $20 bowl of soup or a sauce on a $75 steak.
I have started adding more precision to my technique, watching the temp, not stirring up the bones, skimming the scum, following ricepadās tips I think, even with my leftover bones from roasts, and I have been amazed with the results, paying more attention to the method.
That said, I donāt measure the meat, bones or water too precisely, yet. Maybe some day. haha
I am the opposite of a recipe follower. I would be fired if I was kitchen staff.
Have you ever tried the Cecilia Chiang recipe for chicken broth? I posted it here before from her autobiography The Seventh Daughter (fantastic!) thatās now out of print. She had a beautiful restaurant in SF called The Mandarin. She died a few years ago at about age 101.
Anyway, you take a good quality whole chicken (and I always add a couple of lbs of wings) add to a pot of cold water to cover, bring to a boil then discard that water and rinse off chicken well. Fill the cleaned pot with cold water, add the chicken, salt and a few thin slices of ginger.
Bring to a boil then turn way down to a simmer. You can skim some but using this method thereās very little to skim. If too much water evaporates you can add more cold water. After about an hour I remove the breast meat and use it for chicken salad.
You continue simmering for at least another hour.
I have not tried that one yet. Thank you!
