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MAKE IT THE SEASON OF GREAT STOCK

It?s no wonder caterers find themselves in a quandary when it comes to stock. You want to utilise the skills you learnt as a rookie chef, roasting bones and creating a traditional stockpot, as you know what goes in and know what?s going to come out. Problem is, there are so many other things to factor in when it comes to today?s commercial kitchens and many university caterers cannot afford to dismiss pre-prepared alternatives. Do you have to compromise on quality? Absolutely not, according to stock specialist, Essential Cuisine?

1. What stocks are available to university caterers?
Nigel Crane, Dorchester-trained chef and managing director of Essential Cuisine, producer of professional stocks, jus, glace and gravy, said: ?There are many pre-made stocks on the market, pledging to taste and perform as well as stocks chefs would make themselves, which can be confusing. The best way to ascertain whether a stock is up to the job is to compare and contrast for yourself. Make suppliers go the distance in proving theirs really is the best.

?Powdered stocks are the best on the readymade market as caterers simply don?t want to wait around for sticky, hard stocks to dissolve, which is why we created powder mixes. The myth that they don?t contain real ingredients is absolutely untrue. Our vegetable stock, for example, smells of vegetables because it is made with vegetables.

?Because our stocks are powders, you can also add them straight into a dish at any stage of the cooking process, giving chefs ultra convenience and control during a busy service, along with consistent taste and performance you can rely on. Gluten-free, they also cater for those with special dietary requirements, a demand in today?s diverse society.

?Our comprehensive range is available through national wholesalers and offers a superior yield of 50ltrs per 800g tub, and, unlike most others on the market, each flavour - from chicken to light vegetable - tastes just like kitchen-made stock with a clear appearance and appropriate levels of seasoning.?

2. What could caterers consider before launching products with new stocks?
?To put this question into perspective, you need to look at why you use stock in the first place. Sauces play an integral part in every foodservice business, bringing dishes to life and varying from a simple b?chamel sauce to an intricate, delicate red wine and rosemary jus. As a profit generator, soup also has a major role to play on university menus.

?The key to guaranteeing these cooking fundamentals are not huge disappointments when they arrive at the table is the depth and balance of flavour provided by stock. Senses are heightened right now as they look for quality and value, and compromising is a downward spiral. If customers are disappointed, they?ll show it with their feet.?

3. What are the essential stocks to obtain?
?From the feedback we?ve received, we are confident that our stocks are better than the competition. For one, our stocks deliver a taste that is just like a kitchen-made stock; clean, natural, balanced, not overpowering. If a chef is making all his own, we are delighted, because when the occasion arises that he needs to buy in, he will be able to benchmark alternative brands more easily. There are a few rules of thumb:

? A good, readymade stock should not contain a high level of fat or oil, which floats as it dissolves, and adds work for the chef in skimming it off.

? A good, readymade vegetable stock should smell of vegetables, not because it?s laden with tomato puree and dried herbs, but because it is made with the real thing.

? When you taste your stock, it should taste subtle, not overbearing, with no unnatural, lingering taste. Some companies use acid to break down fats in their products, making them juicy to the point where the juices don?t stop and it becomes artificial, a metallic, processed flavour.

? Readymade stock should mirror the quality of a chef?s own creations and have a clean, not over-seasoned, taste. It should be easy to use and a chef must be comfortable using the stock in combination with, or instead of, his or her own stock.

? Do the taste test. Compare stocks diluted in hot water at the recommended dosage and don?t accept a stock tasting when the stock is hidden in a finished dish. Think carefully about appearance, taste, mouth feel and aftertaste.

? Yield is the number of litres produced by each pot, enabling you to calculate cost per litre. Cost stock prices based on this as, generally, you will need more of a lower quality stock and it will not deliver the taste you require.

4. How important is it to stock well known brands?
?Stocks are a key ingredient in your recipes, the heart and soul, delivering depth and balance of flavour in the final dish. Without them, food will be bland and un-interesting. Using a reputable, bought-in brand really is the most cost effective way to deliver great taste, with the stock component cost of an average dish under five pence. You can, of course, buy in cheap stock, but is it worth risking the meal for a couple of pence? It is a false economy.?

5. Can students notice the difference in quality between purchased stock and a freshly prepared one?
?It doesn?t matter whether you are serving someone in a fine dining restaurant or a university refectory, a customer will have made a judgment based on how the dish looks, the colour, the texture, aroma, before they have even opened their mouth. This comes down to the components in your cooking.

?With stock, a lot of it has to do with an appropriate level of seasoning, that is, the right amount of salt, pepper and spices, so the correct balance is achieved. The lower the quality of stock a chef buys, the more salt, oil and flavour enhancer (MSG) it?s likely to contain, so the final dish can become too salty and artificial tasting.

?Essential Cuisine stocks have an appropriate level of seasoning. Based on 50ml used as a recipe ingredient, they contain 0.28g of salt, which works out at 5.6g per litre.?

6. How much time does purchasing stock cubes, for example, save caterers?
?In an ideal world, university caterers would make their own stock from scratch. In reality, many are not in a position to spend time roasting bones in a stockpot, whether this is because they are limited structurally, have a low skill base or are pressed for time.

?Caterers must now also consider Health and Safety guidelines, which say you can no longer leave the stockpot unattended. All fair arguments, but does this really mean your sauces and soups should become an afterthought in kitchens, memorable for all the wrong reasons?

?The answer is no. By using our prepared stocks, you can save up to eight hours a day without no compromise on the taste, appearance or aroma of the dish.?

7. Any further comments?
Nigel?s top tip is to never overuse as you can always add a bit later. ?Treat stock the same as you would treat ingredients like chilli; you can add a little bit more if needed, but once it?s in, it?s in and once ruined, it?s ruined,? he said. ?Our powdered stocks make it much easier to control the amount of stock you add, sprinkling it in as you go.

?A good, working kitchen should also keep a constant supply of vegetable and chicken stock to hand as they are invaluable for soups and as a base for most types of sauces. Wastage with stock is another common issue.

?You might buy a product that seems like good value which costs more in the long run, requiring perhaps twice as much to get the right consistency and taste. It?s a problem chefs often fall foul of. One key thing to remember is to look at price per litre, not price per pack.?