Best Ultimate Browned Vegetable Stock Recipes

BASIC VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• Chop scrubbed vegetables into 1-inch chunks. Remember, the greater the surface area, the more quickly vegetables will yield their flavor.
• Heat oil in a soup pot. Add onion, celery, carrots, scallions, garlic, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add salt and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain. Discard vegetables.
• Other ingredients to consider: mushrooms, eggplant, asparagus (butt ends), corn cobs, fennel (stalks and trimmings), bell peppers, pea pods, chard (stems and leaves), celery root parings, marjoram (stems and leaves), basil, potato parings . . . Get the idea?

VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium stockpot over medium until hot but not smoking. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Add celery, carrots, garlic, and peppercorns; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Pour in enough water to cover vegetables by 1 inch (8 to 10 cups) and add herbs and remaining half onion. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, 1 hour.
• Pour stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl or another pot, pressing on vegetables to extract as much flavorful liquid as possible. Discard solids. If not using immediately, cool in an ice-water bath before transferring to airtight containers.

RICH BROWN VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• Saute leeks, carrots, celery, potato and garlic until slightly browned.
• Add 5 cups water and remaining ingredients.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for one hour.
• Strain and cool; can easily be frozen and recipe is easily doubled.

ULTIMATE BROWNED VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Spray and 11 X 13-inch backing pan with cooking spray.
• Place the onions, carrots, celery, beets and garlic in the pan. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat the vegetables. Pour over the soy sauce and bake until the vegetables are deeply browned, almost burnt-looking, about 1 hour.
• Transfer the vegetables to a large heavy soup pot. Add 5 cups of the water and the remaining ingredients.
• Pour the remaining 2 cups of water into the baking pan, and using the blade since of a spatula, scrape up all those wonderful browned, caramelized bits on the bottom. Add this to the soup pot.
• Bring the water to a boil, and then turn down the heat and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes. Cool slightly and strain.

BASIC VEGETABLE STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large bowl toss the oil with onions, carrots, garlic, leeks and arrange them in a roasting pan.
• Place pan in oven and roast, stirring once, for 45 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
• In a large saucepan or stock pot combine the roasted vegetables with carrot tops, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, peppercorns, clove and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 hour or until the broth is reduced to about 8 cups. Strain.
• Additions for Summer Stock: summer squash, tomatoes, green beans, eggplant, bell peppers, corn cobs, marjoram, oregano, basil.
• Instead of first roasting vegetables, saute them over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables begin to brown. Complete recipe as above.
• Additions for Winter Stock: celery root, parsley root, dried sage, mushrooms (both dried or 1 pound fresh).

THE ULTIMATE BROWNIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line one 9x9-inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar until dissolved. Remove mixture from heat. Gradually pour the melted butter into the beaten eggs, whisking constantly, until mixture is fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.
• Sift the flour, cocoa and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing until combined. Stir in the walnuts. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until brownies are set (a toothpick inserted in the center should have small crumbs clinging to it, rather than wet batter), 45 to 50 minutes. Do not overbake!