I’ve been working on perfecting my pressure cooker brown chicken stock, and I’m getting a bit burnt out on soups. What’re other uses for stock so I can work through my trials without freezing them? I know there’s a great deal of flavor to be added by cooking rice/pasta in stock rather than water- is there any use for this liquid gold I should be tuned in on?
Pic of current batch, have been playing around with longer pressure cook times to get a deep rich flavor profile. Fun fact, as you start cooking above 3 hours the gelatin breaks down and you go back to having a broth like consistency!
by baesoonist
45 Comments
Gumbo. Easily.
Adding more flavor to mapo tofu can’t possibly be a bad thing.
i use them for pan sauces all the time. make a roux, splash of wine, then stock and flavoring… a dash of dijon, capers, and dried herbs that fit the meal i made are usually included.
Risotto
My favorite use of stock is risotto.
Baked rice. I know you said that already but the best damn rice I ever made was basmati rice with homemade chicken stock (with the fat – that’s imperative), caramelized onions, and butter.
It was so good, I forgot to make the main dish the rice was supposed to accompany and just ate the rice for dinner.
Japanese style chicken curry. Chicken pie filling.
Bullshot cocktail
Steam egg. Those little egg custards are amazing with homemade broth.
Ramen
Risotto. Risotto made with good stock is God’s food
Boil potatoes in it before mashing, add a little back in after draining, it gives it a great base flavor
I dehydrate it and then use a spice grinder to make it into a powder before keeping it in the fridge.
I would suggest using them to make rice! Making rice with flavored stocks is a nice little way to change up the flavors. Stews are obviously another way to go (but may be too close to soup for you). Adding them to some sauces would be nice too!
rice
Why are you afraid of freezing them? Frozen homemade stock tastes perfectly fine after thawing. We have ice cube trays where each cube is 1/4 cup of liquid, then we put the cubes into a plastic bag.
Rice and drinking it straight up before bed
Whenever I have extra chicken stock I use it as an excuse to cook up some very hearty red beans and rice. Sometimes I’ll also just have a cup of hot stock for breakfast, very energizing.
I use my homemade chicken stock, full of collagen, instead of water when making White People Taco Night…
Paella
Made a lovely boulangerie potatoes with some stock the other day.
I class up my instant ramen with good stock.
Risotto. Tons of sauces. Mashed potatoes with stock. Also stock is just good to drink.
Just a nice cool glass to quench your thirst.
Southern Pinto beans and ham hocks. Cook the beans in the stock. Cook rice in stock. Replace water with stock any time you can.
Terriaki/eel sauce
Oh man really like any savory dish that you might use water in, use stock instead
Anything that calls for water but sounds like it could be good with stock? Give it a crack!
Beans
Literally anywhere you might use water for savory cooking, just use stock instead. Rice, soup, pan sauces, braises, boiling potatoes even if you have a bunch.
When I’m heating up a jar of marinara for pasta, I can make it instantly (semi) homemade by sautéing some garlic and oregano in the pot first, adding the red sauce and then a splash of my homemade brown stock. Then just simmer for a bit until the excess water evaporates.
The stock brings out that simmered all day until the mirepoix has disintegrated flavor.
Edit: in both of my posts, the point is that stock is the foundation of a dish and you can boost marginally pre-processed meals by adding it.
fondant potatoes
Fondant potatoes and braised leeks for some sides
Pot roast
Lots of rice or soup adjacent ideas shared, but you can also reduce it down while cooking mushrooms which also soak up flavour like little sponges.
Tom yum… soup
When I have too much in my freezer I just reduce the stock down until it turns into a demi glace essentially. You can freeze that and cut it into cubes for instant “gravy” for meats or add it to soups kind of like a concentrated bouillon.
Substitute broth with anything boiled in water rice, pasta, or potato! It especially adds something extra with lightly seasoned or mild tasting dishes such as carbonara, red rice (tomato & bulgar), couscous, mashed potatoes and even fried potatoes.
Gravies, long slow and low cooked meats like beef bourgeon, pot roast, steamed chicken is great (hainanese chicken), roasting bone marrow, dipping sauces.
Or make home made head cheese.
So many uses!
Kenji’s [cassoulet](https://www.seriouseats.com/traditional-french-cassoulet-recipe).
Okay, here’s an unusual suggestion:
I make my mac’n’cheese by boiling my pasta in juuuust enough stock to cook it without having to drain it; the remaining liquid is starchy enough from the pasta that I don’t need to make a roux for the cheese. A different take on a classic but super delicious and the stock’s flavour will shine through.
Stir frying. Take a scoop and plop it into fry pan with veggies, toss, and done.
Also anything saucy. A couple scoops and add corn starch slurry ex. Mapo tofu.
some of it would certainly be well applied in a nice demi-glace https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demi-glace
Savory oatmeal. Also add chili crisp.
literally any stew or chilli etc! Any time you would use water, sub out stock, never a bad move.
Braises, pan sauces, fondant potatoes
I can probably keep going
Chicken demi glacé goes hard