Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe

There is little comparison between homemade chicken stock and store-bought.  There is a time investment at the front end that is daunting for some, but it is a fabulous way to use every part of your likely expensive organic chicken or even just the last remnants of a ready-made rotisserie chicken.

Unless you are particularly skilled in the dissection of every part of the meat from a chicken, there will likely be a lot of meat left clinging to the bones as you get ready to trash the carcass.  Instead of wasting that last bit of goodness, toss that carcass into a stock pot, add some veg, some spice and water and boil away!

Sounds easy, right?  Well, it is!  And the best part of it is that you know exactly what has gone into your stock.  You know the salt content, that it really contains no MSG or yeast extracts and that it is healthy for you.  Now, I encourage that you leave any skin on through the stock making process as fat is flavor and then skim fat at the end, but I will defer to your choices.  It is your body and your taste buds!

Chicken Stock Recipe

• 1 Chicken, Turkey or other poultry carcass.
• 3 carrots, broken into thirds
• 3 ribs of celery, broken into thirds
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3+ cloves of garlic, really as much as you like
• 2 bay leaves
• salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice (I’m a fan of thyme)
• water to cover

1. Place the carcass in the stock pot, I recommend at least an 8 quart capacity, larger if possible, and a pasta cooker insert is super handy as it’s essentially a built-in colander and makes step 6 that much easier.
2. Add the chunked up carrots, celery, onion and cloves of garlic.
3. Add the bay leaves, salt, pepper and herbs of choice.
4. Add water to cover the contents.  If you are 1/4 of the way from the top of your pot, stop filling and just remember to mix the contents through the process.  You don’t want a boil over!
5. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer.  Simmer for at least 30 minutes, longer works too!
6. At the end of your simmer, remove from heat and let cool until you feel comfortable handling the pot.  Strain the contents from the stock and store in quart mason jars in the fridge.
7. Don’t let your stock sit around too long, use the recipe for Creamy Chicken Soup!

Well, that’s all there is to it.  Be sure to check in next week to see what’s cookin’!