How do you get the best out of stock cubes and bouillon?

A stock cube is not a compromise. It is a small block of time saved, and plenty of good home cooks keep a box in the cupboard without apology. The trick is knowing what it gives you and what it doesn't. It gives salt, savouriness and a general background. It doesn't give the fresh, rounded, aromatic depth of vegetables simmered slowly. You can add that part in ten minutes.

Cubes, powders, pastes and liquid concentrates

They all do the same job, with small differences in handling.

• Cubes are compact and keep forever. Crumble them into hot water or straight into a pan and stir until completely dissolved; undissolved specks taste harsh.
• Powders dissolve easily and are the easiest to measure loosely, a pinch at a time, which makes them handy for seasoning a sauce or a pan of vegetables.
• Pastes and gels in jars or tubs often taste a little rounder. Once opened, store them as the label says.
• Liquid concentrates are quick and easy to adjust drop by drop.

Whatever the format, read the label for the producer's dilution, then decide for yourself.

Dilute on the weak side first

Packet dilutions are a sensible average, but they are designed for broth you would drink on its own. If the stock is going into a risotto, a soup that will reduce, or a sauce, everything will concentrate as it cooks. Start a little weaker than the packet suggests. You can always add a pinch more powder or another piece of cube later. You cannot take salt back out.

Salt last

Almost every cube and powder is already well seasoned. Cook with it, taste near the end, and only then decide whether the dish needs salt. This is the most common way stock-cube dishes go wrong: salt added at the start out of habit, then a second layer of salt from the cube, then a reduction. More on seasoning in layers in how much salt.

Make it taste homemade in ten minutes

Bring the diluted stock to a simmer with one or two of these, then strain or fish them out:

• An onion, halved, skin on for colour.
• A carrot and a celery stick, roughly chopped.
• A bay leaf, a few peppercorns, parsley stalks or a sprig of thyme.
• A Parmesan rind, for savoury roundness; see Parmesan rinds.
• A few dried mushrooms, or the soaking liquid from them, for depth.
• A splash of white wine, simmered off.
• A strip of lemon peel, removed after a few minutes, for a brighter broth.

If you have a little more time, soften the onion and carrot in olive oil before adding the water and cube. That small step of browning makes a noticeable difference. For a stock made fully from scratch, see vegetable stock with flavour.

Using them beyond soup

A crumbled cube or a spoon of powder is a seasoning in its own right.

• In the pan: a pinch in the oil when sweating onions for a sauce.
• In the water: for cooking rice, couscous, farro or lentils, so the grain is seasoned all the way through.
• On vegetables: a little dissolved in a spoon of water and tossed with roasting vegetables or braised greens.
• In risotto: where the stock carries most of the flavour, a good cube, generously helped with onion and Parmesan, is perfectly respectable.

Choosing a cube

Taste a few. They vary enormously: some lean heavily on salt, some on onion, some on herbs. Vegetable bouillon is the most versatile for our kind of cooking. Lower-salt versions give you more control. Keep the one you like, and keep it in a dry, closed container, because damp makes cubes go crumbly and powders clump.