Got Parmesan Rinds? Make Parm Broth.

An umami bomb to keep in your freezer.

This week has FINALLY begun to feel like spring (hello spring equinox!) but I’m not quite sure I’m ready to let go of soup season. Spring is a great time to get simple on soups - heavy long simmering stews and layers of potato begone, hello sweet early spring vegetables! Unlike bone broth – which simmers for hours on end and steams up the kitchen – parmesan broth actually reaches optimal flavour at about an hour and a half to two hours. So it adds depth to your dishes without heaviness or too much time in the kitchen - perfection!

Parmesan broth is a great way to maximize the use of that block of parmesan you spent your whole paycheque on at the grocery store (the only excuse to not be buying your Parmigiano Reggiano at Costco is if you imported it directly from Italy yourself). Plus, the other ingredients in this recipe cost less than $5 so it’s a pretty economical boost to have in your cooking arsenal.

There are lots of wonderful ways to use your parm broth once you have a stock in your freezer. In some cases, parm broth can actually replace parmesan directly – use it in place of salted water in risotto or polenta rather than grating in a heap load at the end. Boil your beans in parm broth rather than water and alliums. Parmesan broth is a fantastic vegetarian alternative to sub out for bone broths in almost any recipe PLUS, since parm is super low in lactose, it can generally be consumed even by those with dairy sensitivities.

I recently made this very simple but delicious Cabbage and Bean Stew from Alison Roman, but subbed in parmesan broth for water, served with a poached egg floating delicately among the cabbage strands, and drizzled the whole concoction with duck chili oil, like the Gen Z’er I am.

Final suggestion: this simple Nova Scotia classic, aptly named hodge podge, is the perfect way to usher in spring without offending our oft creamy and soft winter palates. A delicious, though not traditional, twist is to boil your vegetables in parmesan broth rather than water when making this recipe.

The possibilities are endless! Explore and let me know where you land:)

Now for the recipe…

Peppery Parmesan Broth

If you have spare parm rind, but not quite enough to make this recipe, just wrap it in plastic and throw it in the freezer until the next time you can add to the pile. You can buy parm rind, minus the cheese, at most specialty grocery stores – although, much like buying bones for broth rather than using what you have, votes out on whether that is a waste of money. Or, like me, sometimes you’ll end up paying full price for some rind at the grocery store because someone wrapped and priced the rind like a block of cheese (sad). Otherwise, steal some rind from your mother or a friend’s fridge - odds are, they won’t miss it. Repay them in broth.

INGREDIENTS

Splash of olive oil

2 large or 3 small shallots

1/2 a small white onion

1 head of garlic

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1/2 cup leftover white wine or 1/4 cup white vermouth (or neither if you don’t have them around).

2 bay leaves

1 pound Parmigiano Reggiano rinds

METHOD

Cut your shallots, garlic, and onion in halves or quarters, leaving the skin on (they add colour!).

Splash about a tablespoon of olive oil into a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Place the alliums cut side down in the hot oil and add in the black peppercorns to toast. Browning the alliums adds a depth to the broth that you’d otherwise be missing.

Once the alliums have a beautiful brown look to them, pour in your wine or vermouth and let that simmer down. Add the bay leaves, parm rinds, and cover with about 8 cups of water. Let the stock come to a bare boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Let simmer for about two hours, stirring occasionally so the parm rinds don’t get stuck to the bottom of the pot. Taste once the broth has turned a golden colour and add some salt. It’s better to under-season broth, since it’s rare that broth in broth form is the last iteration of itself.

Strain and store it in plastic containers to keep in the freezer until inspiration strikes!

Happy cooking my friends!

Love,

Charlie