Stocks and broths

Task D-13 is worth about 6 of the 150 questions on the Red Seal Cook exam. Stocks also come up inside soup, sauce and food safety questions, so this task pays off more than once.

A stock is an unseasoned liquid, usually made by gently simmering bones, vegetables and aromatics in water. It is a base: soups, sauces and braises are built on it. Court-bouillon is the exception: it has no bones, is usually salted and is used as a poaching liquid.

A broth is made by simmering meat, fish or vegetables, often with bones, and is usually seasoned so it can be served on its own, as a clear soup or with noodles.

The standard names four stocks (white, brown, fumet and court-bouillon) and five broths (clear, bone, emulsified, dashi and miso).