Home-made Stock

I find stock to be very useful as it can be used as a base for both gravies and soups, and if made from scratch I think it has an undeniably better taste than its granuled counterpart. I am all for cutting corners and choosing the easy option but when it sacrafices taste, that's when I stop. It's easy to make stock anyway, and there is a huge sense of satisfaction when you're done!

Makes a generous amount for 4 to 6 people.

Ingredients

1 large onion (halved, with skins)
1 large carrot (unpeeled, halved)
1 clove of garlic (unpeeled, unchopped)
1 large leek (stork and root removed)
2 vegetable stock cubes
12 whole black peppercorns
1 large pinch of salt
carcass or bone of selected meat (with fat and gristle left on)

Method

1. Boil 1.7 litres of water in a pan
2. Add 2 vegetable stock cubes
3. Add the carcass/bones
4. Add the rest of the ingredients
5. Bring to the boil in the pan
6. Reduce heat to a low simmer with the lid on and simmer for 1 hour.
7. Once cooked seive the stock from the other ingredients
8. Cover with lid/clingfilm and place in the fridge until chilled
9. Once chilled remove the fat that has collected on the top of the stock.
10. Cover the stock and use when needed.

Notes

1. Instead of chilling the stock to remove the fat you could also line the seive with kitchen roll and seive through as normal and this will catch the excess fat.

2. Other vegetables can be used such as celery, parsnips, red onions and chillis - should you want to add a bit of spice. Because the stock is quite versatile it lends itself to most vegetables, it just depends on what type of flavour you prefer.

3. Once the meat of the meal you are cooking is ready, you could pour the juices from the meat directly into the stock to add more flavour. You could also add cornflour to thicken.

4. Can be frozen.