How To Make Chicken Stock From Scratch



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Learning how to make chicken stock is a cornerstone of comfort food. It is the primary ingredient in chicken soup, chicken and dumplings, chicken pot pie, chicken gravy or veloute, and for many braised dishes.

It is, also, one of the most used stocks out there, and this chicken stock recipe is mild enough to carry across many different dishes without impacting the outcome, or end flavor. In addition, it is a lot more affordable to make, as compared to veal or beef stock.

Homemade chicken stockChicken Stock

How To Make Chicken Stock That Will Warm Your Soul

  • Prep Time: 10 to 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 to 5 hours

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs chicken bones
  • 1/2 lb onion, quartered
  • 1/4 lb carrot, peeled and cut on a bias 1/2 inch thick
  • 1/4 lb celery, large dice no leaves
  • 2  bay leaves
  • 12 whole peppercorns
  • 9 sprigs parsley
  • 5 sprigs thyme

Method


For the Bones

  1. Fill a 12-quart stock pot with enough water to just cover the bones.
  2. Bring the water to a rapid boil, then add all of the bones. Return it to a boil and let the bones boil off for 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and strain through a colander, discarding the water. This step helps to remove some of the impurities. 


For White Chicken Stock

  1. If you want to make a white chicken stock add all the ingredients together into the pot.
  2. Once all of the ingredients are in the stock pot add enough water to just cover everything by about an inch.
  3. Follow instructions to finish the stock, below.

For Roasted Chicken stock

  1. If you want to make a roasted chicken stock spread the bones out on a parchment lined sheet pan and roast off in a 350° F oven, until the bones are nicely caramelized.
  2. While the bones are roasting, set a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots to the pan and saute with a little canola oil. Saute until the carrots are nicely caramelized then transfer them to the stock pot.
  3. Next add the onions to the saute pan and repeat.
  4. You can add the celery straight to the pot as it doesn't really caramelize well.
  5. Once all of the aromatic vegetables are in the stock pot you can add the remaining ingredients.
  6. Remove the bones from the oven and transfer directly to the stock pot. Add enough water to just cover everything by about an inch.

To Finish The Stock

  1. For either method, return the pot to the burner and adjust the heat to medium-low. When the stock just begins to bubble reduce the heat to low.
  2. Ideally, you want a bubble to break the surface of the stock about every 3 to 5 seconds. That is it. Let it simmer like this, for about 4-5 hours.
  3. Skim the scum from the stock with a spoon every 10 to 15 minutes for the first hour of cooking and twice each hour thereafter. If the water level drops after skimming, you can add more water.
  4. Once the stock is finished ladle as much of the liquid off as you can and pass it through a very fine mesh strainer.
  5. Remove the large bones with tongs and pass the remainder of the stock through the strainer. If you really want to clean it up rinse the strainer, line it with cheesecloth, then pass the liquid through a second time.
  6. When you strain the stock, strain it into a second stockpot that is resting in an ice bath. Place the stockpot in an empty sink and fill the sink up around the pot with ice. Once the liquid is in the pot, add water to the ice. Stir the stock for about 20 minutes to cool it and store it in the refrigerator.
  7. Once it cools completely you should have a layer of chicken fat that has formed over the top. Remove the fat and throw it out. Then transfer to smaller containers and freeze until you are ready to use it.