Preparation

If you've been throwing away cheese rinds, we need to have a conversation. Those waxy, hard pieces you can't grate are flavor concentrate, waiting to give your cooking one last gift.

The Long Simmer

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion quarters cut-side down and garlic. Let them caramelize for 5 minutes.
2. Add all your saved cheese rinds, water, bay leaves, peppercorns, and rosemary.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest simmer possible. Cover and cook for 2 hours.
4. Strain out all solids, pressing on the rinds to extract every bit of flavor.
5. Season with salt—go easy, as the cheese adds plenty.

Use this broth anywhere you'd use stock, but especially in risotto, pasta dishes, or as a base for soup. It has a nutty, deeply savory quality that regular stock can't match. The rinds dissolve slowly, giving up their concentrated cheesiness into the liquid. Store in the fridge for a week or freeze in portions. Start keeping a bag of rinds in your freezer now—your future self will thank you.