Heston vs Marco

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Far be it from me to get stuck into a controversy, but for £2.99 for a little bit of stock; wouldn't it be better to ask the butcher for some chicken bones and make your own? Or has it come to the crunch in England where it's cheaper to buy "ready made" than make it yourself?

You have to bear in mind that many, if not most, people in UK never go to a butcher - they buy meat in supermarkets

No chance of buying carcases (I can get them if I go to the Farmers's market, which i seem to have given up doing a bit)

Ther is a new and impressive looking butcher near me - but those who saw the Smithfield porgram will not be surpsied to know that the meat i strimmed ot within an inch of its life before it ever makes it into the bulding, no bones etc to be had (unless you pre-order and pay a bundle)

[Dena Profile]

Hi KKA, If you cook Heston's chicken stock http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/c ... ock-recipe it is, I think, more expensive.

Using 2 kg of chicken wings (free range) even if using this site (Luca gave this link on another forum) http://www.londonfinemeats.com/product4 ... Of-12.html, then there are all the other vegetables and the cost of the cooking fuel, it doesn't make for a very cheap stock, just a gorgeous one.

I do make a chicken stock from a carcass left over from roast chicken though and it is good for most things, and of course much cheaper, but it is no match for Heston's.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Thanks for the info, folks. A real eye-opener; I had no idea !
If you go to a supermarket here, you'll probably find at least 5 or 6 butchers behind the meat counter. Meat arrives like thishttp://diariovea.com.ve/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/indepabis.jpg and is butchered to order. You'll see folks asking the butcher for 6 steaks, for example, 2 cms thick: minced meat - give me that piece over there and mince it twice, please: half a dozen pork chops but keep them thick: two whole chickens, but please cut them into 8 portions for me and save the giblets.
I've got a chef friend who has 20 butchers in his hotel. He's very frustrated because he used to work in the USA, where he'd simply order 100 16oz steaks, 300 pork chops, etc. and everything would arrive prepared, vacuum packed and to order!

[Renée Profile]

Hi Belgian Blue! I do have an extractor fan which has a lining to capture all the grease, but even so, I wonder where all the steam goes to. There's such a lot with a couple of hours cooking, which I would do for beef stock. The window is on another wall. I often make chicken stock from the wings, using Ken Hom's recipe. I usually roast the wings, with shallot quarters and sliced mini-Portabello mushrooms underneath and thyme sprigs. The meat can be removed before putting the bones and skin into the stock-pot. I lighter in flavour stock can be made if you don't roast the wings first.

I'll let you know if I hear from Joubere, HH.

Morrisons is brilliant for a supply of fish bones and heads, but I don't live near to a supermarket these days.

I've just remembered that a friend uses excellent stock pastes, which are only available through the trade. They are even better than More Than Gourmet pastes. If only I could remember the name!

I've just found the website for the MTG stock pastes. They seem to be available in this country now.

http://www.thegoodfoodnetwork.co.uk/foo ... 71957.html

[Renée Profile]

Asda, which is my nearest, but not my favourite supermarket, has a new range of pastes, under their own name. The ingredients are good, so I bought Shallot, Port & Thyme Paste, Chipotle Paste and Smoky Chilli & Garlic Paste.

[hungryhousewife Profile]

Hi Renee!
I've bought from The Goodfood Network in the past. They send me regular email info of their offers.
I bought some tins of fois gras for a canape thing ages ago, and they sent me a couple of samples of the demi-glace stock. I can get that stock in my butcher too, but don't as I think it really is going a bit far on the expense side of things!

I used to get lovely 3 litre bags of beautiful veal stock sent to me by a company called something like Dorset Foods - I'll see if I can dig out some paper work. I used to portion it up and stick it in the freezer. A big bag was about £30, but it was lovely stock and went a long way.

HH

[Renée Profile]

Now, I would be very interested in the veal stock, so thanks very much!

P.S. I've just found this, but would much rather have a recommended one.

http://www.natoora.co.uk/shop/butcher/f ... 15330.html

[Pampy Profile]

Which reminds me, I've e-mailed Joubere to find out whether or not they'll be producing the stocks again. It's ages since I've seen them.

HH, have you come across the Kallo French Onion stock cubes? They're really good. I prefer the ordinary cubes to the organic ones. The ingredients seem to be much better.

I would love to make my own stock again, but steam isn't filtered to the outdoors as it was in my previous home, so apart from chicken stock, I don't make any other one.

I make stock in my slow cooker, which as well as not steaming the house out also means I don't have to watch a pan on the hob.

[hungryhousewife Profile]

Hi Renee - I tried to find them - they were called West Country Foods, or something very similar - but I can't find them on the net. The reason I stopped using them was because a friend used to get it delivered and we would split the delivery costs - but one day it was off, and they wouldn't refund. Perhaps they've gone under? I will try and find out.

Pampy - your idea of making stock in the slow cooker is a great one! Never thought of that!! What do you do??

HH

[Dena Profile]

Hi Renee, I haven't tried the Natoora stock but their goods are usually very good quality.

[Pampy Profile]

Hi Renee - I tried to find them - they were called West Country Foods, or something very similar - but I can't find them on the net. The reason I stopped using them was because a friend used to get it delivered and we would split the delivery costs - but one day it was off, and they wouldn't refund. Perhaps they've gone under? I will try and find out.

Pampy - your idea of making stock in the slow cooker is a great one! Never thought of that!! What do you do??

HH

I just put in all the chicken bones/trimmings that I've got, plus a sliced carrot, roughly sliced onion, sliced stick of celery, bit of fresh parsley (including stalks), about a dozen whole black peppercorns and a couple of (fresh) bay leaves, then fill with boiling water to just below the top of the food (once it starts to cook, the food "settles" into the water). I cook it on low for about 8 hours, then strain the lot and cool it. When it's been refrigerated, I scrape the fat off the top then bag and freeze. I try to use as little water as possible so that the stock is thick and gelatinous as it takes up far less space in the freezer.
If I ever use chopped parsely for anything and have the stalks left over, they go into the freezer. I also freeze any small amounts of chicken trimmings that I have and any celery that I don't need to use gets sliced and frozen too, all ready for the next batch of stock being made. I don't often use leeks but if I do, I wash and freeze the tops and use them to replace some of the onion in the pot.

[Renée Profile]

I do now have a slow cooker, Pampy, so will use it as you suggest next time with the minimum of water. It's one that can be put on the hob first, so that I can lightly brown vegetables or meat.

[hungryhousewife Profile]

That sounds like a very nifty way to do it! I've always done the big pot boiling away job - quite expensive I expect in comparison to the price of running a slow cooker.

I will definitely give it a go!

Thanks
HH

[Renée Profile]

The beauty of using the slow cooker, is that you can forget about it. Mine is a Crock-Pot. I'm not sure about the running costs.

[Dena Profile]

Heston uses a pressure cooker for his. He calls it his secret weapon in making great stock.

[Renée Profile]

Hmmm ... interesting, Dena. I had often wondered how stocks made in a pressure cooker compared with the more traditional ways. I really haven't got room for anything else, so will continue to use the slow-cooker.

[Pampy Profile]

Pressure cookers are also good for making stock but the disadvantage is that they have to be watched too - using a slow cooker means you can just leave it - and if you're late turing it off, there's no harm done.

[Pampy Profile]

Pressure cookers are also good for making stock but the disadvantage is that they have to be watched too - using a slow cooker means you can just leave it - and if you're late turing it off, there's no harm done.

...or even late turNing it off!

[Wokman Profile Website]

I use this recipe for making lamb stock:

http://www.squidoo.com/ramsay-gordon-recipes-stock-lamb

Absolutely delicious even if it does take 4-6 hours to make. Fortunately one of our local butchers gives the bones away free of charge, but our local Morrisons only charge a couple of pence for the lamb bones.