You probably know that parmesan rinds give excellent flavor to soups. Take this concept one step further by boosting your chicken or vegetable stocks with the flavor of parm, too. With the addition of rinds, you'll get an incredible base for soups and stews that's entirely unique from any standard stock.
I've talked before about making a parm broth; what follows is a recipe for something even more tasty. With the addition of aromatics and the basics you'll find in a chicken or vegetable stock, this version is much more substantial in flavor. And more and more, I see parm rinds sold in bulk, which makes this even easier to do if you haven't acquired enough rinds by being a serious cheese consumer.
Use this stock as a base for soups like Italian wedding, white bean, and minestrone. It'd be great in heartier dishes, too, like this Chicken Stew with Kale and Cannellini Beans or this Collard Greens Stew with Chorizo and Garlic.
As with most stocks, the longer you let this simmer, the more extraction you'll get from the elements in the stock. And if you have other stock-friendly ingredients on hand, like leeks, shallots, fennel, or corn cobs, throw those in, as well. For a heavy parm flavor, be sure to use a good amount of rinds, like 8 or more.
For a more roasted, intense flavor, saute the vegetables in some olive oil first, until softened and deeply golden. Then add the water and parm rinds. If using chicken parts, you can roast them in the oven before adding to the water, at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, or until golden.
Since stocks are meant to add body to soups, sauces, and stews, and since they're typically reduced quite a bit during cooking, they aren't usually seasoned at all. This one benefits from a bit of salt at the end, though, just to boost its flavor before it gets turned into something else. And if you're not reducing it very much, you won't run the risk of it being too salty.
Parmesan Stock
Makes about 10 to 12 cups
2 onions, peeled and quartered
3 carrots, in 2-inch pieces
4 stalks celery, in 2-inch pieces
2 dried bay leaves
1/2 bunch parsley
1/2 bunch thyme
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 chicken carcass, or a mix of chicken necks, backs, and wings (optional)
8 medium-sized Parmesan rinds (or whatever you have on hand)
Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot. Add water to fill. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim any foam that comes to the top, and reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, skimming the surface as necessary for at least 4 hours. Top with water occasionally if necessary. Strain and season very conservatively with salt.
Cool, and transfer to containers. Store in the refrigerator for use within 1 week, or in the freezer for use within 6 months.
Nora Singley used to be a cheesemonger and the Director of Education at Murray's Cheese Shop in New York City, where she continues to teach cheese classes for the public. She is currently a TV Chef on The Martha Stewart Show.
Related: A Worthy Replacement for Parm: Sartori Stravecchio
(Images: Nora Singley)
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I recently wanted to make some chicken stock, but aside from the carcass, the cupboard was pretty bare. I ended up throwing in a leftover onion half, a few past-their-prime carrots, some peppercorns, a bay leaf, and as an afterthought, a good chunk of parmesan rind. Wow, was I ever shocked at the wonderful flavor that one rind gave my stock. I can imagine that with 8 rinds, the flavor is just amazing! I'll definitely give this a try.
I love using parmesan rinds in soup. So good!
I tried using parmesan rinds in a stock and they melted slightly and left this sticky goo on the bottom of the stockpot that didn't incorporate well into the broth. Any thoughts on what I did wrong?
I just boosted my vegetable stock with a rind of parm for a pot of vegetarian pasta e fagioli last night. YUM.
Does stock ever get bitter if it's left to simmer too long? I'm just wondering if there's a point where the flavor starts to go downhill as cooking time increases.
I sauted the vegtables first and roasted the chicken first, it definitely makes a difference, this method is in Anne Burrell's latest cookbook. I heard on The Splendid Table radio show that adding a bit of fish sauce and tomatoe paste will make elevate chicken stock too. Has anyone ever tried this?
sounds good! But I don't have the rind yet, will just a chunk of the parm itself do the same thing?
@RuthSus, I had the same problem. I also may have accidentally used my hand blender in the soup before fully removing the rind. Anyone have any tips aside from the obvious?
@RuthSus and @MsMaris, I have seen the rind goo on the bottom of my stock pot, too, but I just don't let it bother me. I pour the stock through a couple of strainers anyway, so I just let the goo sit on the bottom of the pot and clean it up later. When I add a rind, it adds a lot of flavor to the stock so I don't mind a little extra clean up later.
Does this only work with Parmesan or can you use the rinds from other hard cheeses?
@RUTHSUS:
You're not doing anything wrong. This just happens. I sometimes give a gentle stir to scrape the bottom of the pot while the stock is simmering to prevent this from happening.
@PedalPowered:
Nope. The only negative to simmering for too long is reducing too much. You may end up with a highly concentrated stock, but not much of it, which is why I suggest simmering with the lid partially on, and topping off with a bit of water if it reduces too much. It'll still be quite flavorful, and in a case such as this, it's nice to decide how much you want to reduce your stock once it's finished.
@TrueNorth:
Yes, plain cheese would work... but it seems a bit of a waste of a pretty expensive cheese. If you want the cheesy flavor in soups or stews and you just have the cheese, I'd personally just grate some on top of your finished dish. Save the un-grateable rinds for the stock, and use the cheese as it should be used...
@KRDAVIS: The best cheese rinds for this application are cheeses in the parm style. So use American-style parmesans, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Piave, and Grana Padano.
I would have been beaten at the CIA for making a stock like this. Red Onions? Shallots? Shallots with the skin on????? No. No. No. Shallots aren't crazy expensive, but they cost more than onions and if you already have onions and leeks in the pot, a couple of shallots aren't going to do anything for flavor....except with the skin on, I guess if you like bitter stock.
Hi! I was born and raised in the parmigiano reggiano area and it's common to add parmigiano crusts to stocks for added flavour. It's also very tatsy to eat the half melted cheese hot out of the stock!!! I don't think you can use other cheeses because parmigiano has a very peculiar texture.
Love!
Valeria
Side note, my local hippie grocery store (Earthfare) sells parmigiano rinds (leftover from cheese they grate in-store) and they're quite inexpensive.
Yay! I bought some rinds last night at Harris Teeter and used them in my risotto, but this is awesome to hear. I'll make some veggie stock this weekend and throw the rinds in for some added fatty depth.
Nature's MSG :)
seriously... parmesan is full of natural glutamate - and the boiling helps leach these out of the rinds into the stock - wonderful umami!
it's better to clean up the parmesan rinds very well since it's commonly shipped without packaging. BTW you can find a lot of Parmesan right from Italy on parmashop.