Chinese cooking technique: Stock
We added "stock" in the techniques section, rather than the recipes section because it is often an essential part of Chinese cooking. And although there is a recipe for making broth, we felt it is better suited under the techniques section.
Stock is commonly used as a replacement of water when cooking Chinese dishes. When used as an ingredient, it not only adds more nutrients, but also adds extra flavor to the dish. Poultry(chicken) stock is by far the most common stock used in Chinese cooking. It is also a frugal way to make extra use of the left-over chicken bones after you de-bone the chicken breasts. Vegetable, pork, and beef are also used. Below is the recipe for Poultry stock:
Serving: 6-8
4 to 5 lbs. of chicken parts (preferably bones)1/2 onion chopped
2 stalks of green onions chopped
2 pieces of ginger crushed
1 Tablespoon of Chinese cooking(rice) wine
6 cups of water for the initial boiling
12 cups of water for the stock
Instructions:
note: you do not need the wok cover for this recipe
Pour 6 cups of water iin the wok, and boil on high. Once the water is boiling, put the chicken parts in the water. As the chicken parts start to heat up, residues/foams will appear on the surface of the water. Remove the residues/foams, then boil for a few more minutes, and remove the bones into a container.
Clean the wok, then pour 12 cups of water and put the chicken bones in. Insert the ginger, green onion, and onion, along with the rice wine. Boil altogether on high heat.
Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to low. Slowly remove the remaining residues/foams (should not be much at all).
Continue for 1 hour, then remove the bones, and there you have it! Some chefs prefer to strain the stock as the final step, some don't. It is really up to you.
It is preferred that the stock to NOT be kept in the refrigerater, as the taste tends to diminish the longer it stays in there. Ideally, the stock should be made the same day that you are making the dishes that require using stock. But, understandably, not everyone has the time to spend in preparing it on the same day. So, if you have to, you can prepare it days ahead of time, but keep it in the freezer instead.
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