Vegetable stock

By: Greg Malouf, Lucy Malouf
From: New Feast
Makes: 4 litres
Photographer: Alan Benson

Although it is perfectly possible to buy good-quality vegetable stocks these days, most supermarket varieties have a strong ‘dried herb’ flavour, which can overpower a dish. If you can, try to use a liquid stock, rather than cubes or powders but home-made is best!

This is a very low-fat stock with a delicate, fresh flavour. We make it in fairly large amounts and then freeze it in freezer bags in 500 ml batches. Saffron adds its usual distinctive flavour note and a lovely golden hue, but is entirely optional.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
2	large onions, roughly chopped
2	leeks, well washed and roughly chopped
3	large carrots, roughly chopped
4 sticks	celery, roughly chopped
1 head	garlic, cut in half crossways
2	bay leaves
a handful	thyme sprigs
1 teaspoon	white peppercorns
15-20	saffron threads, (optional)

Method

Put all the vegetables into your largest pot. Cover generously with water, at least 4 litres.
Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for an hour, skimming away any froth that rises to the surface, although this will be minimal.
Remove from the heat and cover the pot with cling film to make it airtight. By some magic, this helps to clarify the stock and seems to keep the vegetable essence in the stock. Leave to sit for 1 hour.
Remove the cling film. For the best and clearest stock, sit your sieve directly into the stock, gently submerging the vegetables, and ladle out the liquid. Don't be tempted to just pour it through the sieve as this makes it cloudy. Ladle the stock directly into a measuring jug and then freeze it in 500 ml portions for future use.

Note:

We don't use whole tomatoes for stocks as the seeds make it bitter, but if you have any tomato skins left over from another recipe then add them to the pot. Similarly, a few mushrooms are also a good addition, but remove the gills as they discolour the stock.

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