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1 bunch (about 1½ pounds) red or green Swiss chard, cut into 1-inch pieces

Several sprigs fresh thyme

Several sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 dried bay leaf

1. In a medium stockpot, melt the butter and oil, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat. Add the onion; cook until caramelized, 15 to 25 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, and celery, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Add the Swiss chard to the vegetable mixture. Add 3½ quarts cold water and the thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer, uncovered, about 1 hour.

3. Remove from the heat, and strain the stock through a fine sieve or a cheesecloth-lined strainer, pressing on the vegetables to extract the juices. Discard the vegetables. The stock can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

MAKING FULL-FLAVORED STOCK

With a few simple ingredients, some basic kitchen equipment, and a little planning, wonderful stock is easy to make at home.

•Use meat and bones to make a stock; if you use only bones, that’s exactly what the stock will end up tasting like.

•The stockpot should be tall and narrow enough to keep the ingredients snug; too much space causes the flavorful liquid to evaporate rather than extracting the full flavor from the ingredients.

•Don’t rush stock; it takes 3 to 4 hours to release all the flavor from the bones.

•Add enough cold water to cover the ingredients by 1 or 2 inches—no more, or the stock may be too watery. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat right away so the liquid barely simmers (use a metal trivet or a flame tamer). Letting the stock boil too long can result in greasy, off flavors; all that churning makes the fat released from the bones and meat emulsify with the water.

•As the stock gently simmers, a thin skin of impurities will form on the surface. Skim this skin off with a slotted spoon, and discard. Skim the stock every 30 minutes. When the liquid falls below the level of the bones, add cold water.

•Strained and cooled, stock keeps in the refrigerator for 3 days and in the freezer for 3 to 4 months. Once it’s refrigerated, a layer of fat develops on top of the stock; skim it off with a spoon, and discard. If you freeze the stock, leave the fat intact as a seal; remove it before using.

fish stock

MAKES ABOUT 2½ QUARTS

Because this fish stock freezes well, you can double the recipe; use one batch, and freeze the second one for later use.

4 pounds heads and bones of non-oily fish, such as sole, flounder, snapper, or bass

2 dried bay leaves

8 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 bunch fresh thyme

½ bunch fresh tarragon

1½ teaspoons whole fennel seeds

8 whole black peppercorns

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large leek, white and pale-green parts, quartered and sliced ¼ inch thick, well washed

1 medium onion, cut into ¼-inch dice

8 ounces white mushrooms, wiped clean, cut into ¼-inch dice

2 medium carrots, cut into ¼-inch dice

2 celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch dice

½ fennel bulb, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 cup dry white wine

1. Remove the gills and any blood from the fish heads; thoroughly wash the bones, and cut them to fit in a 12-quart stockpot. Tie the bay leaves, parsley, thyme, tarragon, fennel seeds, and peppercorns in a small piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni; set aside.

2. Melt the butter in the stockpot over medium heat; add the leek, onion, mushrooms, carrots, celery, and fennel, and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high, and add the fish heads and bones. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine, bouquet garni, and 2½ quarts water, just covering the bones. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, skim, and let stock simmer for 25 minutes. Turn off heat; let sit for 10 minutes.

3. Prepare an ice-water bath. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl; set the bowl in the ice bath to cool. Use within 1 day, or freeze up to 3 months.

dashi

SERVES 4

Dashi is a simple stock integral to Japanese cooking.