Answer:
A stock is a flavourful liquid prepared by simmering meaty bones from meat and poultry, seafood or and vegetables in water with aromatics until their flavour, aroma, colour, body and nutritive value is extracted. The liquid is then used for the preparation of soup, sauce, stew and also as braising and simmering cooking medium for vegetables and grains.
There are four basic kinds of stock/fond used in hotels and restaurants: 1. White stock (Fond Blanc), 2. Brown stock (Fond Brun), 3.Vegetable or neutral stock (Fond Maigre) and 4.Fish Stock (Fume de Poisson). The classification of the stock generally refers to the contents or method used to prepare the stock and not necessarily to the colour of the stock/fond.
The word “fond” comes from the word “foundation”. Just as a foundation is a base for a house, fond is the base for much of cooking. Almost every culinary preparation requires a fond. For all practical purposes, “stock” and “fond” have the same meaning.
