Stocks and Bonds

Stocks and bonds

Alright folks, a great stock is not hard to make. The base of soups, sauces, sautéed or braised dishes, having stock in the freezer will make you a better cook! Bonds you ask? I will talk about what makes a great co-worker at the end of this dialogue.

Here are the basics on the three most useful stocks.

Beef stock. Buy beef bones and, if possible, some oxtail. You want to roast these to deep brown, 400 F for 45 -60 minutes. I like to season with salt and pepper, it is better to season at each step when making something because it will taste more fully seasoned when finished. Once well browned, “paint” on tomato paste with a pastry brush, then return to oven for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, chop your mire piox, 2 parts onion, 1 part celery, 1 part carrot. Throw them in a large pot and caramelize. Add a good amount of red wine, a few bay leaves, black peppercorns, garlic cloves, and fresh herbs (thyme works especially well). Add bones and cover with COLD water. Slowly bring to a simmer, stove on medium. Simmer for four hours or more, skim and discard fat and scum while simmering. Strain and remove all fat from the top. Freeze in pints.

Chicken stock. Restaurants use chicken “shells”; basically the bones after the breast and legs are removed. Lots of cartilage (good) and plenty of small pieces of meat. If you buy whole chickens and bone them yourself, this is what you will get. Otherwise, you can use bone in thighs and wings. Do the same thing as above, but use white wine and skip the tomato paste. This is a roasted chicken stock, which I prefer

For a blond chicken stock, skip the roasting step.

Shrimp or fish stock. If you live anywhere near the coast in the south, you should be buying wild caught American shrimp because they are AWESOME and we need to support our shrimpers. I have a pound I bought today for dinner tomorrow can’t wait, but I digress. When you peel those shrimp, save the shells. When you have enough, make a stock with spices, mire poix, white wine, and tomatoes if you like. Simmer 30 -45 minutes. Strain and freeze. It’s that simple. Fish stock? Use fish bones and heads if you like, but remove the gills because they give the stock a strong flavor.

Alright, you are a stock master, what to do with all this stuff? Well, homemade soup is great, beef barley, chicken noodle, seafood bisque… What will you do with that chicken breast you pulled out for dinner? Dredge in flour, sauté, add garlic, chicken stock, capers, wine, butter, fresh lemon juice, viola - chicken piccata. Or sauté, then remove chicken and add shrimp stock, reduce to a glaze, put chicken back in, whisk in butter and fresh herbs, magnifique!

Now the bonds part. Why? Well it has been on my mind lately, as I hire for several new restaurants, and it sounded good with stocks. In this business, this is what makes a great number 2. It may be the same in your business.

Challenge, not in a pushing to see how far you can go, but in a collaborative way. Create, bring things to the table. Listen, hear and know what is happening and what the focus areas are. Anticipate, don’t wait to be told to do everything, be proactive. Ask, know your boss. You should be of one mind, know what they would say without having to ask.
Know your place, don’t argue, especially in the heat of battle. Be trustworthy, immensely important as a boss, employee, or human being. Have your bosses back, what can you do to help him succeed? If you have a good boss, it will come back to you!

Well, that’s it. Ciao for now, more soon. If you enjoy this entry, please let me know.

Chef Kurt

Umi wins award

Umi Pacific Grille has just found out that it won most innovative restaurant, Southeast region from Sante' Magazine 2007 Restaurant Awards. This is a great honor, this region includes Charleston, Atlanta, Charlotte, and many other great food cities. We are very proud!

Website is up!

The website is up, much more to do on it. It is at www.chefkurt.com. I will be adding more recipes, pictures, and cooking tips in the days to come.