No, not that kind. I’m talking about stocks = broths, for cooking, of course.
When we first got serious about making risotto — many years ago — I learned of the importance of having a plentiful supply of various high-quality homemade stocks. Barbara always made great chicken stock, so that was the staple over most of our omnivorous days. But I also had great success with mushroom broth, shrimp stock, fish stock, and especially lobster stock. We bought a separate freezer which enabled us to have variety and depth on hand at almost any time — when we made the effort to make a large batch of it.
My favorite cookbook on risotto is Judith Barrett’s second book, Risotto Risotti, an easy-to-follow, creative set of recipes spanning all kinds of risotto dishes.
In the book are two excellent vegetable stocks, which we also used in the old days — the more flavorful of which is the Roasted Vegetable Broth. This is now our mainstay vegan stock for all kinds of purposes — risotto, paella, soups, pasta sauces, etc.
It occurred to me that I should share these with you, as well as other stocks I have made or adapted, which I find worthwhile. Below is a small compendium for ready reference. Feel free to substitute and modify, based on component availability and your taste. I am including the lobster pasta special and associated stock — not because I still eat this — but when I created it in 2000, it was amazingly good, and continued to receive critical acclaim from our guests over the next 10 years. Enjoy!
