Investing in Stock

Thanksgiving is a big deal for our family.  Celebrating is typically a three day affair, and the day after is officially French Onion Soup Day.  The carcass goes directly into a stockpot and bubbles away overnight while late night game-playing stretches into the wee hours of the morning.  Last November,  we roasted an extra dozen drumsticks in the oven in addition to the bird out on the grill.  Additional bones would just get added to the bubbling cauldron as guests steadily raided the fridge and consumed leftovers.  A visiting friend remarked, “Some people compost…  you make stock.”  Nothing goes to waste in this house.

Recently The Spouse went back to working some longer hours.  For a month or two, we shall revert to the old days of increased travel for him, and increased single parenting for me.  Back injury be damned, I am going to have to scrape together a meal or two and get in the habit of cooking again, so I practiced a little last week.

The Spouse had roasted a guineafowl earlier in the week, and as is our custom, filled up the stockpot with the carcass, fading veggies to help clear out the fridge, some peppercorns, and a bay leaf or two.  Whether you start with leftover bones, or some cheap cuts from the butcher, the basic technique is the same:  start with cold water, bring it up to a simmer slowly, and skim the scum off the top as it reaches a gentle boil.  Let it bubble away for a few hours, cool, strain, and transfer to the freezer or fridge.  A spare plastic container in the fridge can collect bits from the kitchen throughout the week to save for stock, and a weekend day serves as an excellent time to make a big batch.  In the fridge, all the fat will collect in a solidified layer on top which may be easily removed or used as you prefer.  You’ll know you got it right when it comes out of the fridge set up like gelatin.  If it’s still a liquid, don’t fret, you have likely made a very flavorful broth.  But for stock to be stock, it needs the connective tissue that only bones can provide.

The first night dinner was my responsibility, I actually planned ahead.  With seemingly nothing in the fridge for lunch I boiled half a package of farro, established we had at least one carrot which would not be rubbery by dinner time, checked the volume of meat The Spouse had picked from the carcass was sufficient for three bowls of soup, and confirmed we had a bag of frozen peas.  While I had a scoop of farro with microwaved marinara for lunch, I knew soup for dinner was all set to assemble.

I remember big giant pots of soup as a kid.  Often my dad would freeze a bunch to thaw for quick supper on a cold day, but sometimes we would be having soup all week.  It was great the first two nights, but by the end of the week we were all poking around the fridge seeking alternative leftovers.  I think that’s why to this day I prefer drop dumplings to noodles in my chicken soup (the noodles are all mushy by the end of the week), and why I have never been compelled to make split pea soup at home, even though my Grandma’s recipe is fabulous.  Instead of freezing soup or eating leftover soup all week, we are more likely to freeze the stock if need be and only prepare small batches of soup at a time.

My first night re-entering the Mom’s-responsible-for-dinner world, I failed and overdid it during the day.  But at least I could greet The Spouse with a game plan when he walked in the door to no dinner and a wife laying on the couch.  So a chopped carrot was sauteed with some onion in a medium saucepan.  Stock was poured in on top of the veg.  When brought to a simmer, some frozen peas were added, the burner switched off, and The Child called to dinner within a few minutes of starting.  Leftover ginueafowl and cooked farro were portioned into individual bowls and the hot broth and vegetables were poured over top.  Served with some fresh sliced garlic bread to dip and Parmesan grated over top, it was a perfect spring meal.  Obviously this works for the more typical roasted chicken as well, but the key is to not boil the already roasted bits of bird all over again.  No one likes stringy bits of tough or flavorless meat floating around in their soup – no matter how flavorful the broth.

The next night I was flying without a net, as he was out of town and not just working late.  To be honest, I considered having the same sort of soup again, but winced knowing The Child would whine at repetition just like I used to.  I considered using up the last of my sweet potatoes for soup too, but it seemed too warm and springy outside for such a hearty main course.  So instead I went pseudo-Asian.  The bag of frozen wontons from Trader Joe’s said, “Boil your favorite vegetable or chicken broth, add FROZEN wontons to soup for the last 1 -2 minutes.”  Really?  I can do that!

“Hey kid!  Do you want frozen peas or frozen edamame in your soup tonight?”  Giving a kid a say in what is for dinner does not have to mean sacrificing variety for the sake of a box of mac ‘n’ cheese.  Back with she was little, this question might have gotten a negative response to both options.  “It’s very simple.  You pick, or I will pick for you.”  The Child would never abdicate the ability to have a say, and it was then more likely she would try it with less protest.

We often use canning jars in lieu of plastic containers in the refrigerator, running the lids and rings through the dishwasher until the lids look like they need replacing. A simple funnel helps pour the goods into the jars.

Easy Wonton Soup

In the time it took me to heat a jar of our homemade stock on the stove, the ginger was grated and the scallions chopped.  A smidge of miso and a splash each of soy sauce and mirin were added to each individual bowl.

When the stock came to a boil, I added wontons, set the timer for 2 minutes, and scarfed a titch of boiling stock to dissolve the miso paste in each bowl.  Dividing the ginger, scallions, and a handful of frozen Trader Joe’s Soycutash directly from the bag, each bowl was then topped off with boiling stock and wontons.

Dinner was great!  And I’m happy to report that it was exactly 15 minutes from opening the freezer and finding the wontons to sitting down to dinner – - including the time it took me to take a few photos.

While The Child scarfed dinner and posed for a photo I asked her for the first time why she thinks she eats so well.  She paused, wonton poised in her chopsticks over her bowl, and said, “Cuz you guys make me try stuff and cuz Daddy cooks so well.”

“Hey, isn’t this soup good?  I made this!”

She shrugged, “Yeah, it’s awesome.  But it’s because Daddy roasted such a tasty bird.”

She’s got me there.

Invest in making your own stock.  It will pull together even store-bought ingredients into something quick and tasty.  Make small batches or individual bowls of soup to avoid repetition with your kids.  And then ask them targeted questions about what choose to have in it.  With any luck they may even even try it.

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