The right broth is not made from “magic,” but from gentle simmering: quality water, a suitable base, moderate heat, and careful work with the foam. Such broth can be drunk immediately or used as a base for soups, sauces, and stews.
Ingredients and Preparation
Before cooking, gather the base, aromatic ingredients, and prepare the water:
- use clean water without foreign smells or tastes;
- for the base, take bones or bony parts, and it’s better to chop the bones;
- for fish broth, remove the gills from the heads for a cleaner taste;
- cut vegetables coarsely so they release flavor without excessive cloudiness;
- it’s convenient to tie herbs and spices in a bundle or place them in a pouch for easy removal.
The better the initial ingredients, the cleaner the taste.
White and Red Broth
White broth is made from raw ingredients, resulting in a lighter and more neutral flavor.
Red broth is made richer: the bones and vegetables are pre-roasted in the oven or on a skillet until golden brown.
How to Cook Broth
A universal algorithm works for chicken, meat, fish, and vegetables; only the cooking time changes:
- place the base in a pot and cover with cold water;
- set over medium heat and bring almost to a boil;
- remove the foam, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer;
- add coarsely chopped vegetables, herbs, and spices;
- simmer without vigorous boiling for the required time;
- salt closer to the end and remove from heat;
- strain through a colander, and optionally through cheesecloth.
Cooking Time. Use these intervals as a guide, keeping the key rule in mind: the broth should simmer quietly, not boil vigorously:
- chicken broth: about 3 hours;
- beef or veal broth: 4 hours or longer;
- fish broth: 30–40 minutes, longer is unnecessary to avoid bitterness;
- vegetable broth: about 1 hour.
When to Salt. To avoid over-salting due to evaporation, it’s convenient to add a pinch of salt at the beginning and the main portion of salt at the end.
If the broth is intended to be reduced for a sauce, it’s better to salt the finished sauce.
First Water and Foam. Straining the “first water” is not a mandatory step. Clarity depends more on gentle boiling and timely foam removal: with vigorous boiling, the foam breaks up and makes the broth cloudier.
How to Make Broth Clearer. If the broth turns out cloudy, it can be clarified. The simplest way is to introduce beaten egg whites into the slightly cooled broth, bring it to a boil, remove the rising foam, and strain again through cheesecloth.
Fat Removal. For a neat taste and appearance, chill the strained broth: the fat will solidify on top and can be easily removed with a spoon.
Storage and Freezing
In the refrigerator, broth usually lasts a few days. For storage, pour into containers and freeze.
A convenient option is to reduce the strained broth to a concentrate and freeze in portions to add as needed.
