Chicken Stock
Stock is super easy to make. There's nothing to it just throw some veggies and bones in a big pot of water and let it boil.Stocks are the basis of almost everything I cook and I think I use chicken stock more than any other stock. As a result I want the chicken stock I use to be as delicious as possible and I want it to have flavor that is uniquely mine. You can't buy stock from the grocery store that accomplishes these two goals.
Stock is super easy to make. There's nothing to it just throw some veggies and bones in a big pot of water and let it boil. The only thing you'll have to commit to is time. It pretty much takes all day but, thankfully, you don't have to baby-sit stock. Once it starts simmering you can go play Frisbee or whatever catches your fancy.
Procedure
For about one gallon
- 8 pounds chicken bones
- 6 quarts water
- 8 celery stalks
- 8 large carrots
- 3 medium white onions
- 1 Sachet d'epices
Place the water and the bones in to the biggest pot you have. Get it up to a boil then turn it down to simmer. Let them simmer for 5 hours. Skim off any scum that forms.
Add your veggies and the sachet d'epices and let it simmer for another hour or two. You know your time is up when the liquid color is golden, rich, and flavorful. When you taste test make sure you get stock from below the fat which will be floating on top. There is probably little else more disgusting than a big spoonful of hot chicken fat. I guess you might make that mistake only once.
When you are ready strain the liquid. I use my big pasta colander lined with a big sheet of cheesecloth. I'll place the colander into a bowl that can hold at least a gallon of liquid and pour the stock directly into it. In the end you just want a clear stock free from bones, carrot chunks, or whatever else might be in the stockpot.
The stock needs to cool entirely. Normally, I'll divide the stock among 4 freezer safe Ziploc containers and set them in the fridge overnight. In the morning I'll pull the containers out to skim the fat that's formed in the top of the container. Then I snap the lids back on and put them in my freezer.
Tricks
Where do you get 8 pounds of chicken bones? Ask your butcher. No doubt he'll have much more than 8 pounds of scraps from carving up whole chickens. If your butcher does not have any chicken bones back away slowly from the counter and find a new butcher immediately.
Don't over spice your stock. The flavors should be fairly subtle. When you use the stock later you can add whatever spices you like.