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5.0 from 12 votes

Chinese Master Stock (Chinese: 滷水汁)

Make your own savory & fragrant Chinese Master Stock for your favorite Chinese dishes. This bold, rich stock is perfect for poaching & braising meat.

Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 2
Calories: 236 kcal
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Asian , Chinese

Ingredients

Master Stock
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup Shaoxing wine
  • 3 tablespoons Regular soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • Half tick Brown sugar in pieces (Chinese: 冰片糖) (substitute with 1 tablespoon sugar)
  • A few drops sesame oil
Spices for Master Stock
  • 4 star anise (Chinese: 八角)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon ginger
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 dried red chili or ½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn (Chinese: 花椒)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seed , ground
  • 2 dried black cardamom pod , cracked (Optional)
  • 1 piece chenpi (Chinese: 陳皮) (Optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Release Aroma: First crack the dried black cardamom pods with your knife. Then, place all the spices into the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker and heat them up (Instant Pot: press Sauté button). The spices will slowly release their aroma.
  2. Vaporize Alcohol: Once the pressure cooker is hot, pour in the Shaoxing wine and boil off the alcohol.
  3. Pressure Cook Master Stock: Pour the remaining ingredients into the pressure cooker. Close lid and cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes, then 10 minutes Natural Release. Taste and add salt to your master stock. Now you can start cooking with the master stock!

Notes

  • If you like, you can add 6 – 8 chicken drumsticks and cook with the Master Stock simultaneously.
  • 1) Freeze the Master Stock: After every use, strain and set the Stock aside to cool, then chill overnight in the fridge. When the fat rises to the top and form a layer of gel, skim it off, then freeze the stock for next use. A more convenient method is to use a fat separator to remove the fat, then freeze the stock.
  • 2) Storage Duration: You can store it in the fridge for 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
  • 3) Reuse the Master Stock: When you take the Stock out of the freezer, make sure to bring it to a full boil before using it to cook. We usually cook the Stock at High Pressure for 10 minutes, then Quick Release before using it to cook.
  • 4) Revamp the Flavors: If your Master Stock is going low in volume, add more water, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce and other spices to keep it from diluting.
  • Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!

Nutrition Information

Calories 236kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 36g (12%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 2006mg (84%) Potassium 126mg (4%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 20g (40%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 58mg (6%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 236

% Daily Value*

Calories 236kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 36g 12%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 2006mg 84%
Potassium 126mg 3%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 20g 40%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 58mg 6%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.