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3 Essential Kitchen Stocks: Light Chicken, Dark Beef & Shellfish American Sauce
Giacomo teaches three foundational stocks: classic light chicken stock, dark beef stock with roasted rib and oxtail bones, and a shellfish American sauce. Covers correct techniques, mirepoix sizing, expansion vs concentration cooking, and the blanquette de volaille demonstration.
Ingredients
Dark Beef Stock
- 1 kg Beef rib bones + oxtail (roasted until dark golden)
Light Chicken Stock
- 1 kg Chicken carcasses (rinsed under cold water)
- 300 g Mirepoix (onion, carrot, leek, celery) (rough chop ~1cm)
- 1 bundle Bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, bay leaf tied)
Shellfish American Sauce
- 500 g Small crabs + shrimp shells (roasted in hot oil until red)
- 50 ml Pisco (or cognac)
Steps
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1Light chicken stock: bleed carcasses, cover with cold water, add mirepoix and bouquet garni. Simmer (mijoté) 45-60 min. Never boil. Strain.Tip: Starting cold = expansion cooking (flavor goes into liquid). Never salt stocks.~60 min
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2Dark beef stock: roast rib bones and oxtail in oven until deeply browned. Caramelize mirepoix (breza). Combine with cold water. Simmer 3-4 hours minimum (24-48h for glace de viande).Tip: Oxtail collagen gives the glace its lip-sticking texture.~240 min
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3Shellfish American sauce: sear crabs and shells in hot oil until red. Add tomato paste, deglaze with white wine and pisco. Add thin-cut vegetables. Cover with cold water. Simmer 25-30 min. Strain, pressing shells (foulé technique).Tip: Short cook time preserves fresh oceanic character.~30 min
Nutrition (per serving)
35
Calories
4g
Protein
2g
Carbs
1g
Fat
Cultural Context
Kitchen stocks are the backbone of classical French cuisine. Giacomo bridges old-school French technique with modern practice, noting that protein foam carries umami and need not always be skimmed. He substitutes pisco for cognac in the shellfish American sauce — a Peruvian twist.