Think of stock as the quiet, dependable workhorse. It’s made by simmering bones (chicken, beef, or fish) with aromatics, usually for a long time. You aren’t supposed to season it much—no salt—because it’s a building block.
Stock gets its body and that lovely, wobbly gelatin from the bones and connective tissues. It’s the backbone of your best stews, gravies, and risottos—the thing that makes them rich without being heavy. You use stock, you don’t usually sip it straight from a mug (though no judgment here).
