The outer rind from a wheel of Parmesan, bearing the official "parmigiano reggiano" stamp.
I've been hoarding some leftover Parmesan rinds in my freezer over the last several months. I've used individual rinds in soups and tomato sauces in the past, but since I had accumulated a small freezer bag full, I decided to try this cheese broth from the A16 cookbook. It was simple—I simmered 8 ounces of rinds in about 6 quarts of water with a bay leaf for a couple of hours, stirring every now and again to prevent a gooey layer from forming on the bottom of the pan.
The rinds simmering in broth.
I strained it, then used the tasty broth to cook navy beans (which I started by simmering in some thawed soffrito, another one of my freezer staples). The finished beans were rich and creamy and infused with Parmesan flavor, and I got a lot of satisfaction from using an ingredient that is usually just tossed in the trash. This vegetarian stock would be great in soups, like minestrone. I could even imagine using it, combined with chicken broth, for a simple risotto.
From: JohnJ | 4/20/11 at 12:08 pm
"...an ingredient that is usually just tossed in the trash."
Parmesan rinds can be ground in a food processor, and used like any other part of the cheese block.
From: Janis | 4/20/11 at 1:14 pm
I had a cheese shop and gourmet cafe some time ago and one of the chefs always saved the rinds for our soups and stews. It was our "secret ingredient"!