The importance of stocks in the kitchen is indicated by the French word for stock: fond, meaning “foundation” or “base.” In classical
cuisine, the ability to prepare good stocks is the most basic of all skills
because so much of the work of the entire kitchen depends on them. A
good stock is a foundation of soups, sauces, and most braised foods
and stews.
In modern kitchens, stocks have lost much of the importance they
once had. In the first place, increased reliance on portion-controlled
meats have made bones for stock a rarity in most establishments. Second,
making stocks requires extra labor, which most restaurants today aren’t
able to provide. Finally, more food today is served without sauces, so
stocks aren’t seen to be quite as necessary.
Nevertheless, the finest cuisine still depends on soups and sauces
based on high-quality stocks, so stock-making remains an essential skill
that you should learn early in your training. Stocks and sauces are
almost never served by themselves but are components of many other
preparations. You will need to refer to this chapter in connection with
many other subjects.
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