On Food and Cooking

continued at a gentle simmer until most of the
flavor and gelatin have been extracted from
the solids. The liquid is strained through
cheesecloth or a metal strainer without
pressing on the solids, which would extract
cloudy particles. It’s then thoroughly chilled,
and the solidified fat removed from the
surface. (If the cook doesn’t have the time to
chill the stock, he can soak away much of the
fat from the surface with cloth or paper towels
or specially designed plastic blotters.) The
stock is now ready to use as an ingredient, to
make braised and stewed meats and meat
soups, or as a savory cooking liquid for
vegetables; or it may be reduced for use in a
sauce. The cook may also use stock to extract
a new batch of meat and bones and produce
the especially flavorful, highly prized — and
expensive — double stock. (Double stock can
in turn be combined with more fresh meat and
bones to make a triple stock.)
Because a standard kitchen extraction of