BUILDING FLAVOR, BODY AND TEXTURE: PART 3
Body in the sense of strength of flavor is a less tangible quality. We speak of light-bodied soup or rich, hearty soup, a light wine or a full-bodied wine. If a liquid tastes watery or tasteless, we say it is lacking in body. Body, then, refers to the amount of flavor—its strength or richness. Even a solid food can be said to lack body if its taste has been cooked away and its flavor is pallid.
The way to build body is to build flavor, as you can guess. The way to build a stock is to take water, a flavorless liquid, and give it body with a predominant flavor and support flavors. The predominant flavor of a stock will come from the major ingredient. There are several different predominant flavors for stocks: chicken, beef, veal, fish, and vegetable. Of these, the meat flavors come from bones. The support flavors for stocks come from a mirepoix coupled with stock herbs and spices.
How to make good stocks
In brief, stocks are made by simmering water, bones, and flavor builders together for hours. As they simmer, the flavor producing substances are extracted from the bones and flavor builders and dissolve in the water. The resulting liquid product is the stock. Gelatin is also drawn from the bones, adding body to the liquid. Though it may be imperceptible in a hot stock, it will cause the stock to thicken or jell when chilled.
Before examining stock making in detail, let's consider some general points that apply to all stocks.
In building a good stock you need to know the nature of the product you are aiming for. Here are the principal measures of stock quality.
A good stock is fat-free. A good stock is clear—translucent and free of solid matter. A good stock is pleasant to the senses of smell and taste. A good stock is flavorful, but the flavor is neutral. The flavor of the main ingredient, though predominant, is not overpowering. No one-flavor builder is identifiable over the flavor of the main ingredient. And here are some very important guidelines to observe in making stock.
Use good raw bones—bones that are pleasant smelling and fresh. They should be cracked or cut up crosswise to expose the marrow. Shank and knucklebones are preferred. Use fat-free bones. Fat will produce grease in the stock, spoiling its flavor and appearance. Do not wash the bones or you will wash away many water-soluble flavor-producing substances. Some chefs prefer to wash or blanch the bones, but this should not be necessary if they are fresh. Start with cold liquid. Some proteins in bones are soluble only in cold water. And a cold-water start will produce a clear stock, whereas starting with hot water will produce a cloudy one. Use a tall, narrow pot to minimize evaporation. A certain amount of flavor is lost in evaporation, and the rate of evaporation depends on the surface area of the liquid. Skim occasionally—that is; remove the impurities that rise to the surface, using a skimmer or ladle.
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