Here’s the problem with homemade stock: It’s so good that it doesn’t last long. What’s needed is something you can produce more or less on the spot.
Although water is a suitable proxy in small quantities, when it comes to making the bubbling, chest-warming soups that we rely on in winter, water needs some help. Fortunately, there are almost certainly flavorful ingredients sitting in your fridge or pantry that can transform water into a good stock in a matter of minutes.
This recipe is meant to be fast, so by ‘‘simmer,’’ I mean as little as five minutes and no more than 15. You can season these stocks at the end with salt and pepper to taste, or wait until you’re ready to turn them into full-fledged soups.
Ingredients
- 1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed
- 3 dried porcini
- Some onion, carrot or celery (optional)
About 6 cups of stock
Preparation
- Toss a pound of trimmed button mushrooms and a few dried porcini into 6 cups water. It need not be more complicated than this, but adding some onion, carrot or celery makes it even better.
- Bring to a boil, and simmer.
- Strain the mushrooms out if you like, but make sure to use them for something.
15 minutes
Dining and Cooking