MACROBIOTIC STOCKS

The father of modern European cuisine, Auguste Escoffier, began his Le Guide Culinaire with a codification of sauces and stocks - the bedrock of French haute cuisine. Stocks are foundational. This is true in cuisine macrobiotique as well. Stocks are the basis of most dishes and the key to flavour. A wise chef begins here. The first thing to do is to create a basic repertoire of stocks around which everything else is constructed. In macrobiotics, of course, whole grains are the true foundation of everything, and so stocks are relatively less important than they are in the meat-based cookery that Escoffier codified, but it remains true that making stocks is a primary activity for the macrobiotic chef - it is the groundwork for everything else.

In conventional cookery we have beef stock, fish stock, chicken stock, and so on. Animal based. As you'd expect, macrobiotics is different in that it is based upon a range of (mainly but not exclusively) vegetable based stocks. Here, for the record, is a repertoire of the main ones. Learn to make these:

THREE FAMILY BROTH

A vegetable broth using the three main family of vegetables, the celery family, the cabbage family and the onion family.

GINGER BROTH

A broth with intense ginger flavour.

KOMBU BROTH

A subtle clear broth prepared from kombu seaweed (kelp).

MUSHROOM BROTH

The strong flavours of dried shiitake mushrooms.

SPRING ONION BROTH

Essence of spring onions.

VEGETABLE BROTH

A general all-purpose vegie broth from mixed vegetables and kitchen scraps. Similar to, but more ragged than, three family broth. Endless variations.

DASHI

The classic Japanese fish broth using kombu and benito shavings noted for its smokey flavours.

These are the main ones. There are others. I personally include a light chicken stock among them, and a seafood stock prepared from the heads and pieces of prawns etc. I prepare all of these - except dashi - in a pressure cooker. The pressure cooker produces the fullest and deepest flavours - an essential item of equipment in a macrobiotic kitchen, in my opinion. Acquire and learn how to use a pressure cooker.

All of these broths can be enjoyed on their own or, more commonly, with the addition of miso of which there are many different varieties. Miso soup is foundational in itself; it is part of most well-prepared macrobiotic meals, except perhaps in the heat of summer. But miso is not a broth in itself. It is added to one or other of these broths to make a basic soup which usually functions as an entrée.

Otherwise, one of the most common uses of these broths is as a liquid base for whole grains. Typically, for example, we have precooked brown rice, or millet, or some other grain. It is reheated, ready to eat, in a pan with the addition of a small quantity of stock in which other ingredients, such as vegetables and leafy greens, are simmered as well.

There is the temptation to meld all of these different broths and stocks into one common product. The key to success is to keep them quite distinct. Don't go adding ginger to the spring onion broth, for example. Make the spring onion broth most decidedly onion-y. Make the ginger broth gingery. In any cuisine the chef should labour to create a distinct spectrum of flavours - this is also the case in macrobiotics.

All of these stocks are seasoned with a quality sea salt. As well, I like to add ground black pepper to the all-purpose vegetable stock. This helps to differentiate it from the others. It is more peppery with more complex flavours.