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Recipe Detail Page
Umami Stock
Winter 2016
Umami, the Japanese word for delicious, is known as the fifth taste or the savoury taste after sweet, salty, sour and bitter. It comes from ingredients such as mushrooms, tomatoes, Parmesan and mushrooms. This stock is full of these ingredients and as such will enhance anything it is paired with. For the best flavour, use dried porcini mushrooms rather than mixed ones.
Makes 5 cups (1.25 L) broth
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped, or 2 canned tomatoes
2 leeks, coarsely chopped
1 cup shiitake mushroom stems
4 shiitake mushrooms
6 oz (175 g) cremini mushrooms, quartered
4 oz ( 125 g) pancetta, coarsely chopped
2 oz (60 g) Parmesan rind
1 oz (30 g) porcini or mixed mushrooms, dried
4 garlic cloves, halved
4 peppercorns
1 tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce
1 Combine ingredients in a large pot. There will be about 8 cups (2 L) in total. Add 12 cups (3 L) water or enough to cover vegetables by 1 inch (2.5 cm).
2 Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2½ to 3 hours or until liquid has reduced by about one-third and broth is flavourful.
3 Strain into large bowl. Reserve pancetta, if desired, and discard remaining ingredients.
Makes 5 cups (1.25 L) broth
