A broth is a liquid that is used to cook or season certain foods.
A broth is a liquid that is used when seasoning or cooking certain foods . The term in our language comes from the Latin word caldus , which can be translated as “hot.”
Broths are made by boiling different ingredients in water , so that the flavor and aroma of the chosen products remain in the liquid. It is possible to prepare broths with vegetables or meats of different types.
Examples of broth
To prepare a pumpkin broth , for example, it is necessary to place this fruit in water and boil it for several minutes. Both the pumpkin pulp and its peel and seeds can be used. You can also add salt, pepper and other seasonings to the water. When the broth is ready, it will have an orange hue and will retain the flavor of the pumpkin, even when the solid components (pulp, peel, etc.) are extracted.
It is also possible to make fish broth , chicken or chicken broth , and beef broth , among many others. The preparation is always the same: the ingredients must be cooked in water.
Broth is the base of soups.
The funds
When the broth is boiled for a long time so that the liquid is reduced, a stock is obtained. Depending on the color, it can be called a dark background or a white background .
This color difference is obtained according to the time that the dry foods are left in the water (if they are barely sautéed, a light background is left, while if they are left for a long time, a dark one is obtained) or the temperature of the water before Pour them in (cold water for the light ones and hot water for the dark ones). The funds are used as a base for the preparation of other dishes. The difference between these and broths, in addition to their thickness and color, is that they are not prepared with salt.
Multiple meals can be prepared with one broth. The most common thing is that they are used to make soups , adding noodles or other ingredients to the broth so that they are cooked in it. The broths are also used to prepare rice and stews .
Tips for making broth
Although the preparation of the broth may seem extremely simple, since in principle it consists of boiling different ingredients in plenty of water and seasoning it with spices and herbs, experts have certain secrets that allow you to give the dish an extra touch, that indecipherable character that the purchased food that makes us think it is impossible to reproduce at home.
One of the tips from those who prepare the best broths is to start with cold water and simmer the mixture for quite some time. This is so that the solid foods provide the broth with the greatest possible amount of nutrients and flavors, so that at the end of the cooking process they remain very dry and squeezed.
Regarding the vegetables that should be selected to prepare a good broth, there are no very strict rules, although among the most common are carrots, leeks, tomatoes, onions, celery and garlic. The important thing is variety, both for flavor, consistency and color.
A dehydrated product
It should be noted that the broth is sold dehydrated, in the form of cubes ( dice ) or in powder . By adding water, you obtain the traditional broth.
Dehydrated broth is one of the most useful and most used inventions in the field of gastronomy, since it allows you to considerably enrich the flavor of foods with minimal effort: just place the cube or a small amount of powder in hot water so that dissolves itself. In addition to flavor, dehydrated broth also provides greater consistency and improves the presentation of dishes.