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Chicken Stock is one of those ingredients that I like to keep on hand year round but especially for the Holidays. It adds the special extra touch of flavor to your dishes. It truly elevates those instant mashed potatoes or stuffing from a box. Just replace the water in the recipe with the stock and prepare to never "just add water" again.
I like to keep all of our leftover bones no matter the meat in the freezer. I label freezer bags with the type of meat and just add to them until I have enough to make the stock. Then when I'm ready to make the stock just empty the frozen bones right into the stockpot and add the water. There is no need to thaw cause they will heat up as the water boils.
These bags are a money saving way to make extra chicken stock for the holidays. The bag is 10 pounds and has 8-9 leg quarters. Each chicken leg quarter has a leg, a thigh and a piece of the back. I fabricate these by separating each piece. I also tend to remove the bone from the thigh. I then place the pieces into separate freezer bags labeled with the piece that's going in it. The bones from the thighs and the back all go into the same bag and I label it "Chicken Carcass" along with the date. The carcass will then be used for stock and the chicken for our meals.
This recipe is not precise but is more of a guide to help you make stock. Chicken Stock is considered a white stock because it is made from white meat. (White Meat = poultry, rabbit or some seafood.) You can use it even for that leftover turkey bone during the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Save back the full carcass after you pull off all of the meat and you will definitely have enough bones to make stock.
The seasonings that go in can definitely be adjusted to your preference. If you want you can use dried Ground spices and herbs. I recommend you use a sachet to put them in so you can easily remove them when you strain the stock. If you do not it will be harder to remove them when you strain it.
What is a sachet?
It is a little "purse" or bag usually made from a couple layers of cheese cloth. The herbs and spices are placed inside and then securely tied so the spices and herbs can't come out. A milk bag also works very well for this.
I do add salt into the finished stock just until I can start to taste the brightness of the ingredients. Otherwise, I do not season it anymore until I am ready to use it for whatever recipe I'm going to use it for in the future.
I like to use quart containers to store my stock in. It makes it easy to only use a but at a time. I try to just place 1 in the fridge and let it sit over night when I'm going to be cooking with it. Sometimes I do forget so I just use the thaw setting on the microwave. Be sure to leave a headspace of about 1/2 inch from the top of the container to allow for the stock to expand. You can freeze it or you can refrigerate it or use it immediately.
Side notes:
Using the aromatics
I like to use yellow Onions because the flavor is mild and pairs well with other ingredients. Fell free to use whichever ones you like. Be sure to always peel your vegetables. Leaving the peel on can make your stock bitter. Leaving them dirty can also do this. No need to make your chops perfect. They will get strained out. I usually use them as a snack.
Richer Stock
For a richer stock you can roast your bones at 450° for about 1 hour before boiling. Make sure that you add everything from the roasting pan including the fond that comes on the bottom. (Fond = all of the bits that stick to the bottom of the pan. Think of them as gold.) If there is fond stuck to the pan, be sure to add it to the stock pot too. You dont want to waste all of that extra flavor.
You can easily remove the Fond. Remove the bones from the pan and pour about 1 quart of water onto it. Place it back in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the water is steaming or boiling. This will loosen everything on the pan. If something is still stuck just use a spoon or fork to scrape it.
Doneness
It takes about 4 hours of cooking the chicken bones in a wet environment for the connective tissue to break down. That is the clear or translucent tissue in between the joints. It'll be no longer present when the stock is ready. This connective tissue adds body, richness and mouthful to your stock. When cold, your stock will be thick and like a jelly because of this tissue. It will return back to watery when it is heated up.
What's the difference between Stock and Broth?
Chicken stock is bone broth that has actually been cooked longer. Broth needs an acid to allow the nutrients to come out of the bones. Broth usually doesn't have as much flavor and is sometimes also made from the meat.
Recipe:
2-4 pounds assorted Chicken Bones
2 to 3 whole Carrots, washed, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium yellow Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 ribs Celery, washed and roughly chopped
1 large or 2 small Bay Leaves
½ teaspoon Peppercorns
3 stems Fresh Parsley
3-5 cloves Garlic, slightly smashed
1 stem Fresh Thyme
Instructions:
•Put bones into a large stockpot. Cover bones with cold water and bring pot to a boil. Simmer on medium-low heat for about 3 hours making sure to skim all impurities off of the top.
•Add all other ingredients and simmer 1 hour. When finished, vegetables will be soft but not falling apart and the clear or translucent tissue between the joints of the bones will be gone.
•Let pan cool just enough to handle with potholders. Strain the stock making sure that nothing is left behind. Stock should be clear. If you did not skim off the impurities, it will be cloudy. Cool down stock quickly using a ice bath.
•Store in fridge or freezer immediately. To remove any fat that is in the stock, let stock sit undisturbed in fridge. Fat will seperate and sit at the top. It can then be removed with a spoon.
Until the next baking adventure...
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