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Brain food: what is the difference between a stock and a broth?

Richard Cornish
Richard Cornish

Broth, a standard ingredient of pho, tends to have a thinner texture than stock.
Broth, a standard ingredient of pho, tends to have a thinner texture than stock. Wayne Taylor

What is the difference between a stock and a broth? H. Lloyd

Stock is made by boiling the bones of fish, birds or mammals. Broth is made from flesh. When the collagen of the connective tissue on the bones is heated in water, gelatin is formed. This gives stock its sticky mouthfeel. Unadorned broth tends to have a thinner texture and less flavour.

When I was growing up my mother always told me to add salt to my scrambled eggs well before I put them in the pan. Why? M. Price

Families tell their young ones some of the oddest things. Mine spent a good deal of time trying to convince me I was an adopted piglet from a pig farm. I never believed them but didn't eat bacon until I was in my 20s. On this occasion, however, your mother is correct. As the proteins in the eggs are heated they coagulate and pull together tighter and tighter. As they do they squeeze out moisture, making tough curds. Added salt prevents the proteins bonding too tightly. If you add salt, whisk it through and leave it for 15 minutes or so to allow the salt time to dissolve and help it stop the proteins from toughening up.

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My grandmother made a potato salad with a vinaigrette that made a creamy dressing when it went on the potatoes. I make my potato salad with kipflers and I can't make it as creamy as Oomah's. L. Schulz

I deduce from your surname and use of the familial "oomah" that your family may be German? I suspect, then, that your grandmother would have used floury potatoes that release starch into the dressing, making a delicious rich and thick slurry. You're using kipflers which are waxy and hold on to their starch. Try cooking a starchy potato such as a coliban, russet or King Edward, alongside the kiplfers and when done, mash the starchy potato into some of the dressing and fold it through the rest of the potatoes.

Why do puff pastry recipes put so much emphasis on keeping butter cold? W. Goodman

Water. Butter is an emulsion of water in fat. There is around 10-15 per cent water in butter, depending on the brand. When you roll chunks of butter into the dough they spread out, becoming fine sheets of butter trapped between layers of elastic pastry. When the pastry goes into the oven the fat melts, lubricating the layers of pastry while the water expands, pushing the layers apart giving the pastry its puff. If the butter is too warm it will blend with the pastry and you won't get that puff.

Farewell
"Dear Richard, You are the Tony Jones of Food with your weekly vexing Q and A," writes P. Cole. "Thank you for your brilliant column." Well P. Cole, I will take that as a comment. And I will take the opportunity to thank you and all the readers who have written as this the last time Brain Food will be published here. Thanks for your letters and remember - cooking is about nourishment, learning and conviviality. Cooking is not a competition. Goodbye.

Richard CornishRichard Cornish writes about food, drinks and producers for Good Food.

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