How to Prepare Chinese Style Clear Stock for Noodle?

You can prepare your quality Chinese food in your own kitchen!

By ChefSarawak@NZChefSi

There are many kinds of stock cooked by Asians, it really depends on which region these Asians stayed. Basically, there are two kinds of thinner and clearer stock, one is plain and simple, the other one is hot and spicy. What I will discuss here is the clear, plain and simple version of Chinese stock which is generally used as a soup base used to serve noodle or wonton.

Thinner version stock should be clear and not muddy, it should be boiled then simmered according to a certain timing of what components you are using. It required skimming.

Western style stock is prepared by a protein’s bones, mirepoix and bouquet garni.

Chinese style stock is prepared almost similarly, a protein bones, mixed vegetable, herbs, and spices, but there are additional tastes being added by Asian chefs are umami and smoky taste.

Umami added by Asian chefs to the stock could be the mushroom, dried mussels, dried prawn, dried anchovy, smoked fish or smoked fish flakes (like bonito flakes).

Chinese and Japanese style stock is mostly flavored by daikon, daikon is a strong alkali vegetable, it could bring out the sweetness of protein better than carrot. However, carrot and daikon are not advised to be mixed in Chinese health advice directory. If Asian chefs mastered the five-basic taste skill, they would add pickled mustard into their stock especially the soup base will be used to serve pig offal or seafood noodle soup.

Ginger is usually added to any seafood base stock or any bones which is not as fresh or games. Leek is the most frequently used herb to stock by Chinese.

The two most frequently used garnishing green herbs by Chinese are spring onion and cilantro. However, there is a study conducted in Taiwan, they found out a region in Taiwan that the local used the most of the spring onion also got the highest Hep-B cases. The scientists eventually found out this spring onion was contaminated with Hep-B virus, as generally Chinese chefs wouldn’t like to wash the spring onion for their mise en place, as these chefs believe that it would get rotten faster and also the spring onion would stick together after cutting due to moisture.

If you want to eat spring onion raw, select spring onion from a safe source, you can wash the spring onion and let it drips dry on a perforated tray before chiffonade it.

The following listed ingredients can be used to cook clear and plain version of Chinese stock to serve your home-made egg noodle

Daikon, organic chicken bones/pork bones (make sure you need lots of them to give better flavor) smoked bonito flakes, water, onion, leeks, mustard pickle, ginger, shitake mushroom, black pepper corn (smash), bay leaves, some Chinese would add Lohan fruit (it is a sweet fruit used to reduce a cough and phlegm by Chinese), instead you can replace it by adding a piece of sweet turnip or even apple

Method:

Blanched your bones once and discard the water.

Sweat your onion, ginger, herbs, and spice

Add vegetable, give a quick mix then add water and bone

Boil, immediate turn down fire to simmer.

Skim often.

The stove can be ready around an hour or two depending on your volume and what kind of bones. (Only simmer fish bones for maximum 20 minutes)

Sieve the stock and store

You only begin to season your stock when you are ready to reheat and serve it with noodle or wonton. Accompanied by steamed chicken/blanched chicken and vegetable (could be any seasonal green veg or even bean sprout) and garnished with spring onion or cilantro.