Collagen Stock 胶原蛋白汤底

Last week I shared a container of my homemade jello-like collagen-rich stock on Instagram and Facebook and had many people asking how it was done.

I was kinda taken by surprised as I thought many already knew how to do it. I have been making bone stock since my kids were toddlers, mainly using it as a base to make porridge or noodles for them.

I would make it large quantity and freeze them in individual containers and in ice cube trays meant for cooking. I will leave a bigger portion of the stock, kept in the fridge for the week too. This portion of broth in the fridge will turned jello-like when it's cold.

Since there are so many request for this, I will share how I do it in this post.

Basically there are 2 types of stock I made.  One that gives a yellowish clear broth, which requires about 4 hours of simmering. I usually use this to make porridge or vegetable soup.

The other type of stock will require a much longer cooking time, at least double the time required of the stock mentioned above or if possible, longer. It will also require a higher heat compared to the former in order to break down the marrow, calcium, minerals, etc, from the bones into the stock, hence turning it milky and opaque. I use this to make soup for my ramen.

My suggestion to make a slightly more than 3.5 litre broth requires 2 big pork bones, 2 chicken carcass and an optional 8 chicken feet for additional collagen to a pot of 5 litres of water.

I simmered it for the first 5 hours on the lowest heat and turn the heat slightly higher for the next 3 to 4 hours. You can stop cooking after 5 hours and still get the jello-like stock but it won't be milky and there won't be much 'sticky lip' effect from drinking soup make from the stock.

Whichever way you choose, it is very important that you always remember to blanch the bones first before making the stock. Otherwise, you will get a much darker stock instead of the clear or milky stock.

I usually place all the bones into a big pot with enough water covering all the bones and bring it to a boil. Once it start boiling, scum will form on the surface. Remove and clear the contents. Give the bones a rinse and add them to a fresh pot of water and begin to start making the stock.

Remember to keep skimming away the scum that forms on the surface during cooking so you get a clear stock.

Drain the stock from the bones and let it cool before you store them in the fridge or freezer. Once the stock congeal into jello-like form, you can use a spoon and to easily remove all the fats on the top, if you like.

At the end of all the hard work, you will be rewarded with a stock that is filled with collagen and minerals. It is rich and gelatinous and is good for making a bowl of soup, porridge or noodles, etc for your loved ones.

Additional Notes:

• You can add vegetables and or herbs during the cooking too.
• Use a pressure cooker if you have one to cut down the cooking time.
• Never add salt to the broth. Do it only when you use the stock for further cooking.