Simple to Spectacular : How to Take One Basic Recipe to Four Levels of Sophistication

Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman

Excerpt from Simple to Spectacular: How to Take One Basic Recipe to Four Levels of Sophistication

SOUPS: Chicken stock

STOCKS are said to be the fond--foundation--of great cuisine, but they are really more than that. Once made, they are among the best flavor enhancers, a wonderful addition to countless dishes. We rely primarily on the first two given here. The first of these is traditional chicken stock, a combination of chicken and vegetables that is simmered for just about an hour. Most people think stock takes forever, but it need not, and, as Jean-Georges says, "The best stock tastes of meat, not bones. Shorter cooking times, with lots of meat and not many bones, produces the best stock." The other is jus rôti, a dark stock of intensely roasted chicken and vegetables, which, when reduced, makes a fine sauce. We use it throughout the book, and I recommend that you try making it at least once; you will understand why we like it so much. From there, we offer an Asian-flavored stock, great as a basis for Asian-style soups and stews, as you might expect; a super-enriched jus rôti, which needs only a few noodles or vegetables to become a meal; and consommé, a nearly forgotten classic that looks like chicken broth and tastes like . . . heaven.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

We prefer chicken wings. They have the right balance of gelatin and meat and produce a full-bodied, rich stock quickly. They're also easy to handle. But you can use any chicken parts you like, as long as you include meat and bones, not just bones.

All of these recipes can be multiplied as desired, since those given here make relatively small amounts.

Store stock in the refrigerator; if you bring it to a boil every three days it will keep nearly indefinitely. Or freeze for up to several months.

One-hour chicken stock

1/2 big onion
4 cloves
2 pounds chicken wings, cut into 3 or 4 pieces each
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 leek, trimmed, well washed and chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
10 peppercorns
3 sprigs thyme

Our basic stock, quick and easy enough to make while you're doing something else. It's so flavorful that you may find yourself regretting using canned stock when this runs out.

1 Stud the onion with the cloves and combine all the ingredients with 6 cups water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so that the mixture bubbles steadily but not rapidly. Cook, skimming any foam that accumulates, for about 1 hour.

2 Cool slightly, then strain. Refrigerate (you can skim off the fat after the stock cools completely) and use within 3 days; or see page 2 (above table) for storage suggestions.

MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS TIME: 11/4 HOURS, LARGELY UNATTENDED

Dark chicken stock (jus rôti)

2 pounds chicken wings, cut into 3 or 4 pieces each
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
3 sprigs thyme

This takes a little time and a little care; the chicken must be fully browned before you add the vegetables, or their liquid will stop the browning process. If you like, you can strain the stock and reduce it, over high heat, to a cup or two of shiny glaze, enough to make a flavorful sauce for meat, chicken, fish, or vegetables. Store the sauce as you would the stock.

1 Place an oven rack in the lowest possible position (if you can roast on the floor of the oven, so much the better) and preheat the oven to its maximum (550°F is ideal).

2 Combine the chicken and olive oil in a roasting pan just large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Roast for about 45 minutes, stirring and scraping occasionally, until the meat is nicely browned. Add the vegetables and seasonings and stir once or twice, scraping the bottom of the pan, then return to the oven for about 20 minutes more, stirring once or twice.

3 Place the pan on top of the stove (careful--it is very hot) and add 6 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring and scraping occasionally. Cool slightly, then strain. Refrigerate (you can skim off the fat after the stock cools completely) and use within 3 days; or see page 2 for storage suggestions.

MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS TIME: 11/2 HOURS, LARGELY UNATTENDED

Asian jus roti 2 pounds chicken wings, cut into 3 or 4 pieces each
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and roughly chopped
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
6 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped
4 ounces ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 head garlic, cut in half 1 tablespoon Szechwan peppercorns This is dark chicken stock with Asian seasonings. It makes a lovely broth--garnished with some chopped scallions--or a base for noodle soup with lightly cooked vegetables.

1 Place an oven rack in the lowest possible position (if you can roast on the floor of the oven, so much the better) and preheat the oven to its maximum (550°F is ideal).

2 Combine the chicken wings and peanut oil in a roasting pan just large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Roast for about 45 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally, until the meat is nicely browned. Add the vegetables and seasonings and stir once or twice, scraping, then return to the oven for about 20 minutes more, stirring once or twice.

3 Place the pan on top of the stove (careful--it is very hot) and add 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring and scraping occasionally. Cool slightly, then strain. Refrigerate (you can skim off the fat after the stock cools completely) and use within 3 days; or see page zzz for storage suggestions.

MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS TIME: ABOUT 11/2 HOURS, LARGELY UNATTENDED

Ultra-rich dark stock (fond riche)

2 tablespoons olive oil
One 8-ounce piece prosciutto or other dry-cured ham, cut into chunks
2 pounds chicken wings, cut into 3 or 4 pieces each
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
3 sprigs thyme

1 Place an rack in the lowest possible position (if you can roast on the floor of the oven, so much the better) and preheat the oven to its maximum (550°F is ideal).

2 Combine the olive oil, prosciutto, and chicken in a roasting pan just large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Roast for about 45 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally, until the meat is nicely browned. Add the vegetables and seasonings and stir once or twice, scraping, then return to the oven for about 20 minutes more, stirring once or twice.

3 Place the pan on top of the stove (careful--it is very hot) and add the stock. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring and scraping occasionally. Cool slightly, then strain. Refrigerate (you can skim off the fat after the stock cools completely) and use within 3 days; or see page 2 for storage suggestions.

MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS TIME: ABOUT 11/2 HOURS, LARGELY UNATTENDED

Consommé

1 recipe One-Hour Chicken Stock (page 3)
10 to 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken meat, preferably from the leg
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 leek, trimmed, well washed, and chopped
1 tomato, cut into quarters
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 egg whites
1 cup ice cubes

You might think consommé, a crystal-clear broth, is for sick people, but you'll change your mind after you try it. It's deceptively addictive, a rich, clear soup that makes you wonder where all its intense flavor comes from. There is some time and patience involved here, mostly after adding the egg whites, which act as a magnet to clarify the broth.

1 Place the stock in a large saucepan, turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles steadily but not too rapidly.

2 Meanwhile, chop the chicken, onion, carrot, celery, leek, and tomatoes into 1/4-inch pieces; or put them in a food processor and grind all together, but not too fine. Season the mixture well; season the simmering stock too.

3 Stir the egg whites and ice cubes into the chicken mixture and add it all at once to the simmering stock. Whisk once or twice and bring back to a boil. Adjust the heat so that the liquid bubbles steadily but not too rapidly; the solids will form a "raft" on top of the liquid. Create a "chimney," a hole in one side of the raft, simply by spooning some of the solids out of the way. Let cook for about 10 minutes, gradually enlarging the chimney by scooping the solids from the edge of the raft onto the middle.

4 Ladle the liquid (it's okay if you take some of the raft with it) through a strainer lined with cheesecloth. If you like, you can remove some of the fat by laying paper towels flat on top of the consommé and quickly removing them. Refrigerate (you can skim off the fat after the stock cools completely) and use within 3 days; or see page 2 for storage suggestions. Serve hot, garnished with diced tomatoes, thin noodles, and/or pieces of meat, or completely naked.

MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS

Copyright© 2000 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman

--From Simple to Spectacular : How to Take One Basic Recipe to Four Levels of Sophistication, by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Mark Bittman. ©October 10, 2000, Broadway Books used by permission.