Most home cooks today don’t make their own chicken stock. This could be for several reasons including time, don’t know how, and you can buy stock in a store. But making chicken stock is really easy. Unless you do a lot of cooking, you don’t realize how many recipes ask for chicken stock.
As for time, I get it. It takes some hours to make it. I wait for a day when I have the time. For example a rainy weekend day when you are most likely going to do chores around the house.
Yes, I do buy the box chicken stocks when I don’t have the good stuff. When I buy stock, I always look for the all-natural and with the fewest added ingredients. Personally, I never buy chicken broth. Why broth, when stock has more flavor. Some people think that stock has more salt in it. If you make your own, leave the salt out. Add your salt to the recipe not the stock!
If you fall into the “I don’t know how” to make chicken stock group, I have your solution.
I like to buy my chickens whole and cut them up myself. This is good for a several reasons including; price and I know that all the parts came from the same chicken. After I have cut up the chicken into parts, I save and freeze the carcass. When I have 3 or more, I make stock. I understand that most people don’t cut up their own chickens so you can also save the carcass from any roasted chicken and freeze it. That goes for the Thanksgiving turkey carcass too. Or buy a whole chicken just for stock. But if you do that, don’t waste the meat. Take the cooked meat and make chicken salad with it!
Chicken Stock
3 chicken carcasses
Add classic mirepoix – chopped onions, carrots, and celery
Bouquet garni – parsley stems, spring of thyme, and bay leaf
Put all of the above in a stock of other large pot and add just enough water to cover all of the chicken. Bring water to a high simmer then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for about 3 hours. The batch I made with this recipe actually made 20 cups of stock!
When stock is done, strain stock into another pot and allow to cool. Once it’s cooled, I find containers to put all of it. I like to store in 2 cup increments. This way I have pre-measured amounts and prevent wasting any of the liquid gold. You can also chill overnight in fridge and skim off the fat the next morning before placing in containers. Place all the filled containers in the freezer. When you need some, just pull some out and melt out in a saucepan.
Once you start cooking with real chicken stock, you will understand!
Mad Good Food! 