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1
In a medium stockpot, melt the butter and oil, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat.
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2
Add the onion; cook until caramelized, 15 to 25 minutes.
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3
Add the carrots, parsnips, and celery, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
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4
Add the Swiss chard to the vegetable mixture.
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5
Add 3 1/2 quarts cold water and the thyme, parsley, and bay leaf.
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6
Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer, uncovered, about 1 hour.
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7
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.
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8
Discard the vegetables.
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9
The stock can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
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10
With a few simple ingredients, some basic kitchen equipment, and a little planning, wonderful stock is easy to make at home.
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11
Use meat and bones to make a stock; if you use only bones, thats exactly what the stock will end up tasting like.
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12
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.
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13
Dont rush stock; it takes 3 to 4 hours to release all the flavor from the bones.
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14
Add enough cold water to cover the ingredients by 1 or 2 inchesno more, or the stock may be too watery.
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15
Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat right away so the liquid barely simmers (use a metal trivet or a flame tamer).
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16
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.
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17
As the stock gently simmers, a thin skin of impurities will form on the surface.
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18
Skim this skin off with a slotted spoon, and discard.
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19
Skim the stock every 30 minutes.
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20
When the liquid falls below the level of the bones, add cold water.
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21
Strained and cooled, stock keeps in the refrigerator for 3 days and in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.
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22
Once its refrigerated, a layer of fat develops on top of the stock; skim it off with a spoon, and discard.
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23
If you freeze the stock, leave the fat intact as a seal; remove it before using.
