Need Soup Stock Help
Susan R. Levine
inside a duck inside a turkey) which was wonderful -- just threw it in the
oven and voila. The pan dripping had virtually no fat so I've saved them;
can I used them for soup stock? I've never made any soup but Campbell's and
would like to try a home-made vegetable or barley type but I'm afraid that
if I don't start with a good stock the taste will be flat. I know I can buy
canned stock but if the pan drippings will make a good soup starter I'll
give it a try. Any suggestions/ information would be most appreciated.
Thanks.
Bruce in Maine
Susan - you say your a *novice*, but you made a turducken?? Sounds like
you're learning fast! <Grin>
Yes - save the drippings. Put them in the refrigerator so any fat will
float to the top, solidify, and you can remove it. Then use or freeze
for later use.
As for chicken stock, I usually buy whole chickens, cut them into prats
myself, and then save the wing tips, backbones, necks and any extra
pieces of fat for the stock pot. When I get annoyed at the number of
packages of odds and ends in the freezer, I empty all the packages in
the pot, add onions, garlic, celery leaves, carrot and savory, and make
a stock. I'll use some right away, and then freeze quart containers of
stock for later use. (I usually try and chill the stock to remove the
congealed fat from the top before use, however.) If your stock is
*real* good, it will have the consistency of "Jello" when you take it
out of the refrigerator.
You can do the same with beef bones and beef fat (but I usually omit the
savory and add a bay leaf for flavor). As long as you get rid of the
fat before using the stock, I think there is a lot of flavor to be
rendered out of the odd piece of fat.
Good luck!
Bruce in Maine
Bob Y.
>I'm a real cooking novice. For Christmas I made a turducken (a chicken
>inside a duck inside a turkey) which was wonderful -- just threw it in the
>oven and voila. The pan dripping had virtually no fat so I've saved them;
>can I used them for soup stock?
<snip>
The pan drippings would have made better gravy than soup stock. If you really
want to make a good soup from scratch, you are going to need bones! Lots of
bones (if making beef stock). Or, lots of necks, backs, and wings and other
parts if you are going for chicken. You will also need an assortment of veggies
(carrots, onions, celery, etc.).
Starting to sound complicated? It's not really, but you would be better off to
go to your local library and check out a couple of cookbooks. Most will give
good instructions on making stock, which is the basis of most soups. Fannie
Farmer's cookbook is good and so is _The Joy of Cooking_. I find that the older
versions are better as the new ones go to extremes to be "healthy" rather than
tasty.
Tailwheel
>
> I'm a real cooking novice. For Christmas I made a turducken (a chicken
> inside a duck inside a turkey) which was wonderful -- just threw it in the
> oven and voila. The pan dripping had virtually no fat so I've saved them;
> would like to try a home-made vegetable or barley type but I'm afraid that
> if I don't start with a good stock the taste will be flat. I know I can buy
> canned stock but if the pan drippings will make a good soup starter I'll
> give it a try. Any suggestions/ information would be most appreciated.
> Thanks.
A couple of ideas. I didn't do a turkey this Christmas, but I did one
for Thanksgiving. I like it, but 1 bird a year is enough.
Get your soup pot out and toss the turkey carcass and any other parts
left over into the pot. Cover with water about 2 inches over the top of
the parts. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to where the
water is just barely roiling, cover and simmer for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
This will litterally srtip all meat and flavor out of the turkey parts.
Strain the broth into a large container and then pick out the meat from
the soup pot. Carefully remove any small bones from small pieces of
meat, and return the meat and broth to the soup pot. Bring back to a
boil and toss in 3-4 cups of your favorite diced veggies. check for
salt and pepper to your taste, and then simmerfor 45 minutes or so and
it's ready to serve. I usually have enough soup to freeze a couple of
quarts to use later.
Now, for the drippings. Heat your pan a little with a couple of
tablespoons of water in the drippings to loosen them up a little. Then
take 1-1/2 tablespoons of flour and stir it in and cook until it turns a
light brown. Add a couple of cups of milk with salt and pepper to
taste. keep light heat on the mixture untils it thickens to the
consistancy you like. You can serve it for breakfast over toast,
bisquits, etc. This is a variation of SOS, served in the military.
Happy Holidays
Tailwheel
Gary M.
>
> I'm a real cooking novice. For Christmas I made a turducken (a chicken
> inside a duck inside a turkey) which was wonderful -- just threw it in the
> oven and voila.
Others have already answered the stock question well. I've got another
one..... never in all my years have I heard of a turducken!! ;O
Sounds very interesting and worth trying though. What is the origin of
this? Anyone know? emeheheh...it's like a Russian Nesting-Doll dinner!
Could even keep going with a quail, then a small rodent...eheheh ;)
Shadowtaster .. the grey master
their thoughts in this friendly manner
boned first.. and they started with a goose.. inside that a duck.. then
a chicken then a quail.. then a pigeon and finaly a sparrow..(yup!!!! a
sparrow))
as all the birds where boned.. it was a simplwe task when the cookin was
done to slice thru the whole concoctioon.. so what was served was kinda
a series os concentric (sp?) circles of different coloured meats..
and the slice or two in the centre of the bird had most coloured
rings!!!
thisd was served after a hunt in the UK.. with roast potatoes and some
carrots...
ate it once and loved it.. then found out about the quail pigeon and
sparrow and could never take it again..
( funny .. the goose duck an chiken never gave me a problem???
Vince...
--
it is my prerogative to be daft, so i will!
sharon yoker
cookbook......one of my favorites is 'Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread' by ---
Crescent Dragonwagon. (yes that is the authors name) She runs a B&B in Eureka
Springs, Arkansas. I love this book and use it often, she also has bread & salad
recipes in it.
Bob Y. wrote:
> On Sat, 26 Dec 1998 09:09:25 -0600, "Susan R. Levine" <s...@healyco.com> wrote:
>
> >I'm a real cooking novice. For Christmas I made a turducken (a chicken
> >inside a duck inside a turkey) which was wonderful -- just threw it in the
> >oven and voila. The pan dripping had virtually no fat so I've saved them;
> >can I used them for soup stock?
Lynn
>:/I'm a real cooking novice. For Christmas I made a turducken (a chicken
>:/inside a duck inside a turkey) which was wonderful -- just threw it in the
>:/oven and voila. The pan dripping had virtually no fat so I've saved them;
>:/can I used them for soup stock? I've never made any soup but Campbell's and
>:/would like to try a home-made vegetable or barley type but I'm afraid that
>:/if I don't start with a good stock the taste will be flat. I know I can buy
>:/canned stock but if the pan drippings will make a good soup starter I'll
>:/give it a try. Any suggestions/ information would be most appreciated.
>:/Thanks.
>:/
>:/
I know this is late, but here goes anyway. It's pretty simple, actually. I make
something I call "Stewp." Kind of in between soup and stew - noot as thick as
stew, but thicker than soup. I save all vegetable cooking water in the freezer
in a container. As I make something, I add to the container. I also put all
leftover vegies in there. Surprising how much flavor you can get. Anyway, when
I'm ready to make stewp, or I have plenty of frozen stuff, (you can also do this
with just the drippings if you want. Sometimes if I have enough, that's what
I'll do. I use just that to make a base.) I use this leftover stuff as my stewp
base. (Of course you can vary this acording to taste, but this is what I do.) I
usually make my stewp from beef, unless I would have chicken or turkey or
whatever else to use. If it's beef, I cut it into chunks (whatever size you
think is good for your mouth), and put them in a bowl or bag with seasoned
flour. (use seasoning salt. pepper, garlic - anything you think is tasty).
Dredge the meat in the flour. Brown in bacon fat if you have it (saved from
making bacon. Use oil or whatever you like instead if you don't want to, or
don't have bacon fat). When all the meat is browned, throw the rest of the
flour in the pot and mix with the meat and whatever oil or fat is in the pot.
Cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly. (It will be kind of thick, but
make sure all the flour is browned.) Now, *carefully* and slowly, add some
liquid to the beef and flour, stirring constantly. Keep adding until you have
enough liquid in there so that it isn't thick anymore. In the beginning, you
just need to add enough to make it liquid, not flour thick. Then add your frozen
stock, if you have any. Otherwise, add enough water to cover beef. Stir. Add
more liquid if desired. (You can add as much as you have room for, but you want
to have a proportional amount of liquid to meat.) The add some beef boullion for
a heartier flavour, and some spice like garlic salt or powder, onion salt or
powder, salt, pepper - whatever. Then add whatever vegetables you want:
carrots, potatoes, onions, turnips - anything that tickles your fancy. the leafy
parts of celery add a nice taste - somewhat peppery.
You an get a ice brown color several ways: brown some sugar and add; add some of
that brown stuff in a bottle. My secret ingredient is molasses. I usually add
some for color and a special flavor. Folks always say my stewp is the best
they've ever had. Anyway, then you cook until the meat is tender and the
vegetables are the consistency you like. Then, enjoy!
Lynn