Prep | Killer Noms

Basic Brown Stock

This is a basic recipe for brown stock, using bones and meat from just about any seafood, game, or livestock. Click here for a detailed treatise on stock.

Brining improves flavor, reduces toughness, and adds moisture. Most meats benefit – but lean, tough meats (like game) benefit most of all.For wild birds brining opens up vast cooking options that otherwise may produce dry, tough meat.

Cocktail Sauce

It’s disappointing that many restaurants no longer accompany shellfish like shrimp and crab with this traditional American dipping sauce. Nowadays it comes with something with no zing, apparently generated by an app designed to impress foodies rather than people. In V1 it was ketchup and Read More …

Poultry Stock

Of course this works best with wild birds like turkey, pheasant — or even a big mess of quail. Don’t just “breast ’em out” and toss the rest — all those bones and meat are the ticket to great stock!

Preparing Poultry for Stock

With processed chickens, the whole weight will equate to about 52% boneless meat, 20% skin and 28% bones.

Game birds will be different but not dramatically so – except that they will have much less fat.

So, for instance, to get 12 lbs of bones you may need over 40 lbs of poultry.

Regardless, save the skins! Tremendous flavor there – even from store-bought critters. Of course with game that means you need to do a thorough plucking job… which can be a big hassle!

Normally your limiting factor for the number of “Servings” is one of two things: the weight of bones you have available, and the size of your largest stock pot (unless you split it into multiple pots).

So fiddle with the pot size below until you come up with a number that is both a) not bigger than your biggest pot and b) not more bones than you have on hand. All of the other ingredients will fall into line.

Chipotle Mayo

A spicy, delicious condiment that makes things pop!

Shellfish Stock

Clarified Butter Sous Vide

Clarified butter is a common kitchen term for butterfat – which is what is left after you remove the water and milk solids from butter. Traditionally it is made by heating butter to a temp like 260°F or a bit higher until the last of Read More …