Broths

Broths: how to prepare and use

Broth is an infusion of meat, bones, fish or vegetables that is used as a base for soups, sauces and other dishes. Broth can be made from a variety of ingredients, and each type of broth has its own cooking characteristics.

Meat broth

Meat broth can be made from beef, pork, chicken or other types of meat. In order to get a strong meat broth, you need to cut the meat into small pieces (15-20 g each), put it in cold water and cook, avoiding a violent boil. As a result, the nutrients of the meat will be transferred to the broth, and the broth will be rich and flavorful.

Meat bones can also be used to make broth. In order to extract nutrients from the bones, they must be cut into small pieces, first washed in cold water, changing it 2-3 times. An hour before cooking, place the chopped bones in a bowl with cold water and cook at low boil for 5-6 hours. The finished broth must be strained through a clean sieve or gauze folded in half.

Fish broth

Fish broth is made from fish, fish bones, heads and skin. When cooking fish broth, do not allow it to boil rapidly, otherwise the broth will turn out cloudy. From the moment it boils, the broth needs to be cooked for 45-60 minutes. The finished broth can be used to make soups with cereals, pasta, homemade noodles, vegetables, or served natural with croutons.

Mushroom broth

Dried mushrooms are used to prepare mushroom broth. The mushrooms should be sorted, washed thoroughly and filled with cold water (for 40 g of dried mushrooms - 0.5 liters of water) and left for 3-4 hours to swell. Soaked mushrooms are boiled in the same water, without adding salt, for 40-50 minutes. The finished broth must be strained through cheesecloth. The concentrated mushroom broth can later be diluted with hot boiled water or a decoction of vegetables, cereals or pasta to normal, adding salt.

Vegetable broth

Vegetable broth is made from chopped vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, turnips, cauliflower and onions. All vegetables must be boiled in salted water until tender. The finished broth can be used to prepare soups, sauces and other dishes.

How to use broth Broth can be used as a base for making soups, sauces, stews, pilaf, pasta and other dishes. In addition, the broth can be used to season roasted meats or vegetables to give them a richer flavor.

When preparing soups, a strong broth is usually used, which gives a rich taste and aroma. To prepare sauces, you can use either strong or diluted broth.

The broth can also be frozen and stored in the freezer. If necessary, it can be quickly defrosted and used for cooking.

Some recipes require the use of a specific type of broth, for example, meat broth is used to prepare borscht, and fish broth is used to prepare fish soup. However, in most cases, you can use any type of broth depending on personal preference.