Description
Making homemade chicken stock is way easier than it sounds. Little hands-on time required, just plenty of simmering to get a rich, flavorful stock that is perfect as a base for risottos, soups, stews, sauces and gravies. Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free too.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken carcass (approximately 4 to 5 pounds)
- 1 carrot, halved
- 1 onion, halved
- 2 celery stalks, cut into sticks
- 2-3 bay leaves
- Whole allspice (to taste)
- Whole peppercorns (to taste)
Instructions
- Dry Char the Carrot and Onion: Cut the carrot and onion in half and then and char them in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes. This enhances the broth’s aroma and color.
- Combine Ingredients in Pot: Place the chicken, charred vegetables, celery sticks, bay leaves, allspice, and peppercorns in a pot.
- Cover with Water: Add enough water to fully cover all ingredients.
- Bring to Boil and Scoop Out Scum: Bring to a boil, then skim off any foam from the surface (removing the scum will ensure you get a clear chicken stock).
- Simmer: Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer the ingredients for 3 hours. (The heat should be low enough such that you only get a bubble once in a while. The longer the time taken to simmer, the richer the chicken stock will be.)
- Strain Stock: Strain the chicken broth through a sieve. Optionally, pick the meat off the bones for soups or other dishes. You should get approximately 2 quarts of chicken stock. If you end up with more, you can simmer it a little longer until some of the extra water has evaporated to get a richer stock.
- Use or Store: Use the chicken stock immediately or cool the stock completely before dividing them into portions into clean sterilized mason jars and place into the fridge or freeze for later to use in soups, stews, or sauces.
Notes
Chicken: I like using a chicken carcass – which is basically the chicken skeleton after the meat has been cut off (you can easily ask your butcher for it). It will have retain the bone structure of the chicken, and there will usually be some residual fat and meat left on the bones (but not a lot). If you like, you may also use chicken thighs with the skin on (but bear in mind that the skin and fat will usually result in a layer of grease on top of the stock, which makes it more fatty).
Veggies: I’ve used a mix of carrots, onions and celery to impart flavor to the chicken stock.
Herbs and Spices: I’ve used bay leaves, whole allspice, and whole peppercorns to add flavor as the stock simmers and cooks.
Scrape off Fat: As the stock cools, any fat will rise to the top and create a white solid layer (remove this layer of fat and discard to get a cleaner, lighter stock).
Storing: Homemade chicken stock will last 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 6 months frozen. If frozen, thaw the stock overnight in the refrigerator, or run the jar until hot water to loosen the frozen stock from the jar and then pour it into a pot to melt it.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Basics
- Method: Stovetop
