Making a delicious stock from scratch takes a fair bit of time. The good news is boxes of store-bought stock can save the day when you’re in a pinch. Yet, while ready-made options offer a burst of savory flavor, they tend to lack dimension. Given that stock is a gustatory building block in so many recipes, this can be problematic unless measures are taken to revamp its lackluster profile. Luckily, mimicking the richly nuanced taste of a homemade (read: lengthy-simmered) stock is easy with a handful of flavorful and fragrant aromatics.
Stock is, essentially, made by simmering bones in water, which means it can risk blandness. With the help of aromatics, however, the liquid can be transformed tenfold. Intended to enhance depth by boosting flavors and fragrance, aromatics can include any medley of vegetables. Regardless of whether they’re worked into a poultry, beef, or seafood-based stock, a serving of fresh and bright aromatics can heighten complexity and even balance the liquid’s intensely savory profile.
Not sure which aromatics prove best? Amplify umami with savory garlic, woodsy mushroom, earthy onions, shallots, or leeks. Otherwise, add sweetness with carrots, parsnips, or red peppers. To instead give stock spice, toss in zesty jalapeño or fiery bird’s eye chiles. But don’t stop there. Anything from grassy celery to licorice-flavored fennel, citrusy lemongrass, or peppery ginger can jazz up stock. Just be sure to steer clear of bitter veggies like cabbage or cauliflower, as they can overpower stock, throwing off flavors.
The dos and don’ts of adding aromatics into stock
Aromatics can be introduced into a store-bought stock in several ways. For example, you can either leave vegetables whole or chop them. Ingredients can also be ground into a paste for maximum diffusion of flavor. Rather than toss raw aromatics into store-bought stock, however, we suggest increasing flavor by sweating out the vegetables in butter beforehand. Roasting or smoking aromatics can add layers of nuanced complexity, as well.
There’s no strict rule as to the number, nor quantity, of aromatics that should be worked into a stock. As a matter of fact, you can be as heavy-handed as you please — the stock will only become tastier. Simply include equal amounts of every vegetable used or play with ratios based on preference. The important thing is that aromatics are given a chance to steep in the stock for at least 15 minutes in order to release enough flavor prior to being strained from the liquid.
Along with aromatics, store-bought stock can also benefit from other tasty additions. Herbs such as sage, thyme, parley, rosemary, or bay leaves can enhance the savory liquid, much like a range of spices from mustard seeds to cardamom pods and everything in between. Even a sprinkle of berbere, adobo, or lemon pepper seasoning can give stock pizzazz. Regardless of what ends up in the pot, with a few aromatics, the days of boring store-bought stock will be long behind you!
