For soups, water needs some help. The problem is, making stock takes a long time but you can whip up something on the go to help the flavour of water along.
Ingredients
- 4 slices of prosciutto crudo
- 3 bits of rind of Parmesan, or similar
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- sprig of rosemary
Method
- Combine them all in 6 cups water.
- Bring to a boil, simmer, then strain.
You can use whole, fresh vegetables, but you can also make stock entirely out of vegetable scraps (peelings, stems, etc.) Also toss in anything in your fridge that looks like it’s not so happy any more.
Use the trimmings from your vegetables, including onion skins, herb stems, potato and carrot peelings–just about anything in your kitchen except sulfurous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. You want something with a fairly neutral flavour. I don’t use garlic or other strong spices, I add those kinds of seasonings when I’m actually making a dish. And don’t add salt. As the stock becomes concentrated, it can get unpleasantly salty.
