Chef Shawn Dalziel Chef/Owner of Laurel & Sage in Montclair

This rich, dark, Asian-style clarified stock is the perfect project for a winter weekend at home. You can make the stock and mulch the day before serving or make it all in one day. The stock plus mulch makes a delicious base for soups, even if you choose not to take the final step of clarifying. And it freezes beautifully as either stock or consomme. Dalziel recommends freezing it in pint containers so you can defrost only as much as you need.

By / Photography By | November 07, 2018

Ingredients

SERVINGS: Makes 1 gallon
For the Dark Chicken Stock (makes 2 gallons):
  • 5 pounds chicken bones
  • 2 cups Burgundy wine
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 bunch celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 large Spanish onion, roughly chopped
  • 20 sprigs of thyme
  • 5 fresh bay leaves
  • Small handful of black peppercorns
  • 2¼ gallons water
For the Mulch (makes 2 quarts):
  • 8 pounds cremini mushrooms, washed and chopped
  • 3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1½ bunches celery, roughly chopped
  • 2 large Spanish onions, roughly chopped
  • 1 (750-ml) bottle Chablis wine
For the Raft (make 1½ quarts):
  • 2 dozen egg whites (1 quart)
  • ½ carrot, peeled and minced
  • 4 stalks celery, finely minced
  • 1/2 onion, finely minced
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 20 cilantro stems, chopped
For fortifying the stock:
  • 1 cup bonita flakes
  • 2 large sheets kombu

Preparation

To make the chicken stock: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spread the chicken bones out in a single layer on a large roasting pan and roast until they are well browned, about 45 minutes. Remove the bones from the oven. Add the wine and tomato paste to the hot pan and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the carrots, celery and onion and cook until well browned. Add the bones, deglazing liquid, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and water to the pot. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 2½ hours.

While the stock simmers, make the mulch: Combine the mushrooms, carrots, celery and onions in a large bowl; toss well. Working in batches, place the vegetables in a blender or food processor, start the machine and add just enough wine to help the mixture begin to blend. The goal is a chunky puree. Pour the puree into a deep-sided roasting pan, refill the blender and repeat until all the vegetables are processed. Spread the puree evenly in the pan. Transfer to the oven and roast, stirring every 15 minutes, until the mixture is dry and mulch-like in appearance and texture, about 2½ hours. Remove the pan from the oven and set it aside.

Strain the chicken stock through a chinois or other fine-mesh strainer into a large, clean pot.

To make the raft: Combine the egg whites, carrot, celery, onion, tomatoes and cilantro stems in a blender; puree until smooth.

To clarify the stock: Add the mulch to the stock. Bring the stock to a boil over medium- high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the stock is reduced by half. Strain through a chinois or other fine-mesh strainer into a large, clean pot.

Bring the strained stock to a boil over medium- high heat. Add the raft while stirring vigorously. Stop stirring, allow the stock to return to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer until all particulate matter and residual fat has adhered to the raft, about 30 minutes.

Separating the raft from the consommé is a process. The mixture can be poured through a cheesecloth-lined strainer, or you can siphon out the consommé using a food-grade plastic tube. Or, push the raft aside gently and ladle out the consommé, taking care not to break apart the raft. Now you have consommé (clarified stock).

To fortify the consommé: Add the bonita flakes and kombu and simmer for 15 minutes.

Strain the consommé one last time, taste and season with salt, if needed. The consommé should be clear and dark enough that, when you look into a ladle full of consommé, the bottom of the ladle is not visible.

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Ingredients

SERVINGS: Makes 1 gallon
For the Dark Chicken Stock (makes 2 gallons):
  • 5 pounds chicken bones
  • 2 cups Burgundy wine
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 bunch celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 large Spanish onion, roughly chopped
  • 20 sprigs of thyme
  • 5 fresh bay leaves
  • Small handful of black peppercorns
  • 2¼ gallons water
For the Mulch (makes 2 quarts):
  • 8 pounds cremini mushrooms, washed and chopped
  • 3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1½ bunches celery, roughly chopped
  • 2 large Spanish onions, roughly chopped
  • 1 (750-ml) bottle Chablis wine
For the Raft (make 1½ quarts):
  • 2 dozen egg whites (1 quart)
  • ½ carrot, peeled and minced
  • 4 stalks celery, finely minced
  • 1/2 onion, finely minced
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 20 cilantro stems, chopped
For fortifying the stock:
  • 1 cup bonita flakes
  • 2 large sheets kombu