You may have noticed that in most Epicurean Post recipes we invariably mention that a rich, Home Chef style stock be used in the recipe rather than the supermarket cardboard version with limited flavour, compensated with salt.

So we thought it might be useful to look at how Home Chef stocks can add a wonderful flavour foundation to a recipe and how easily they can be made . No doubt many of our subscribers are creating their own unique stocks or broths and we would love to share your comments and suggestions.

Chicken Stock and Health

Making your own stock is easy. For a Chicken stock simply set aside your left overs - carrot peelings, onions, garlic bits, celery leaves and ends, all the stuff that, after a week of great recipes, ends in the rubbish or compost for the garden. A nice addition to this gathering of scraps is potato peelings. They will add a lovely voluptuousness to the finished stock.

You will now have the start of a great salt free stock that will be full of flavour and better still, all the integrity of the essential vitamins !

Ingredients

6 x Chicken drum sticks, skin on. (amazingly cheap at the supermarkets) 4 x Chicken wings, Your collection of vegetable scraps and a few fresh whole vegetables cut into chunks. 4 x Garlic cloves, halved skin on. 1 x Teaspoon each of dried Thyme, Fennel and Rosemary - or your own preferred dried spices. 1 x Bunch of loosely torn parsley.

Method

In a medium large pot, cover the ingredients with cold water, bring to a simmer (do not boil) and allow to reduce for 3 - 4 hours to your desired flavour intensity.

After 30 minutes the meat will be falling off the drumsticks. Remove the meat and return the chicken bones, bits and skins to the pot to continue the reduction, bringing out the flavour packed collagen and gelatin from the meat and bones.

You will now have a bonus of chicken meat. Great with Turkish bread, mayonnaise, black pepper and fennel !

Once the stock has reduced to your liking, drain through a kitchen colander then through a finer sieve and once cooled, refrigerate. After 48 hours remove the fat topping and store in whatever containers are most convenient.

Vegetable Stock

Simply follow the method for chicken stock without the meat or bones. Add more fresh vegetables cut into chunks. Best to avoid cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, bok choy and kale.

You will only need to simmer for 45 minutes or a little longer if you wish then drain, importantly pressing down hard on the vegetables to extract maximum liquid meaning; the flavour and the vitamins.

The alternative -store bought stock Should you be short on time you can buy excellent stock from butchers and the better food stores of course. As noted above, it is best to avoid the carboard products from supermarkets. We often mention stock from the Undivided Food Co. as an excellent store bought product.

That's easy and you won't be disappointed. But given you have a little time you can easily make your own well in advance, saving a lot of money and giving you the pleasure of creating your own unique flavour base.