Chicken Stock
Making your own stock is the best way to turn a part of the animal that often ends up in the trash—the chicken carcass—into an incredible treat. I keep a container of veggie scraps my fridge and as soon as it is full, that’s my queue to make either a chicken or veggie stock, depending on what else I have on hand.
With a basic recipe of chicken bones plus water plus time, chicken stock is entirely customizable. You can add meat, vegetables, and/or herbs to enhance the flavor of your stock. Choose to simmer the bones for 45 minutes for a light stock, or all day—taking advantage of a slow cooker—for a richer stock. Roast the bones for depth and color, or blanch them for clean flavor and a lighter color; or use raw bones.
Ingredients
Below is basic recipe for chicken stock but feel free to add any other veggies or woody herbs that you have on hand. Sometime I add a touch of tomato paste at the end for another layer of flavor.
-1 chicken carcass, including the neck
-2 celery ribs, chopped
-2 large carrots, chopped
-1 onion, quartered
-3 cloves garlic, crushed
-4 sprigs fresh thyme
-1 long rosemary stem
-2 bay leaves
-Parsley stems
-10 peppercorns
Method
Into a large stock pot or Dutch oven add the chicken carcass: bones, skin and any random bits. Add the chopped celery, carrots, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, parsley stems and peppercorns.
Cover with water and simmer: Pour 10 cups of cold water over the ingredients in the stockpot and turn the heat to medium, just until it begins to have a low boil, then reduce to medium low (or whatever temp you need to keep the stove at for a gentle simmer). You want the stock to simmer and never boil. Boiling can cause the fat and proteins to emulsify and give you dark, greasy stock.
Skim the stock: Push the ingredients down to make sure they are submerged in the water and let the stock simmer on medium low for the next 3 hours. Check every 45 minutes or so and use a spoon to skim any foam that may form off the surface. This is not an exact science. If you lose track of time, and it simmers for 4 hours that’s Ok. You’ll just have a more concentrated stock and might need to add water. If you’re short on time and you only have 2 hours then you’ll just have a lighter stock. That’s Ok too. There is no room for perfectionists in stock making!
Strain the stock: Layer a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth. Set it over a large bowl, then ladle the stock into the lined strainer. Press on the solids to release any additional liquid. When it’s done you should have between 5 and 6 cups of stock depending upon how much it has reduced.
Use, store or freeze: Transfer the stock to small containers or individual ice cube shapes so it cools down faster. Let it cool completely then cover and transfer to the fridge. Once stock sits in the fridge for a few hours or overnight a fat layer will form on the top. Go ahead and remove that fat layer. The stock will be gelatinous and wobbly when cold. that’s a good thing. Use it within 5 days or freeze it for up to six months.
