Chicken stock with Leftovers
One of the most basic ingredients for many recipes is chicken stock. This broth is used from soups to roasts to gravy and beyond. Sure you can pick up some bouillon cubes or cartons of broth from the market - you'll grimace over the sodium content or shrug your shoulders at the rather bland flavor. You will wonder why the soup you just made doesn't seem to taste all that good, you'll add a bunch of seasonings to compensate and call it done.
You won't do this, however, if you make your own stock.
And its easy. All you need are a few simple ingredients, a big pot, some freezing containers and time.
We're going to walk through this with an added dimension - I'm going to use a whole chicken. Most of the time, if I am making stock, I ask the person at the meat counter for chicken 'necks and backs'. Most of the time you can buy a few pounds really inexpensively. The butchers at the market often keep them in the freezer in back. They are usually frozen and ready to dump in a pot.
Today, however, I want to not only make stock but I want a bunch of cooked chicken for enchiladas. Buying a fryer - a whole chicken - is actually cheaper by the pound than pieces cut up. It's also cheaper to buy a whole bird and cut it up yourself rather than buying it all nicely pre-packaged. We pay for convenience.
Here's a 6 lb. fryer cleaned up and in the pot. Always check the cavities for a packet which usually contains the neck and organ meats. Put the neck back in the pot - cut up the giblets for that cat circling your feet.
Cover the chicken with cold water - a couple inches above the bird. This is why you need a big pot. Those whole chickens are pretty hefty.
I like throwing in fresh herbs. Really, its not that hard to have a pot sitting outside somewhere with a little rosemary, thyme and sage in it. For the most part these are really hardy herbs - but we can talk about that later. Right now, I want you to add in what you can get your hands on - dried or fresh and add it in to flavor the stock.
Oh, and toss in a nice fresh bay leaf as well.
Move the pot onto the stove (if you haven't already) and turn on the heat. This stock is going to simmer for quite awhile, so lets not waste time.
You can add all sorts of cut up vegetables whose flavors will be captured in your stock. Traditionally, the holy trifecta of onion, celery and carrots is used. This works for me. Simple and sweet.
One big onion, a couple large carrots (or the equivalency of) and 3-4 stocks of celery (with as much of the leaves as you can get) - all roughly chopped. Don't get fancy - we're just flavoring our stock - this will all be tossed out later.
Garlic is a must. Add 4-5 cloves. Leave the paper skins on, give each clove a nice crushing blow with your hand and the back of the knife - and throw in the pot.
It all starts to come together. Add a couple tablespoons of salt and a teaspoon of pepper. Freshly ground pepper is awesome but regular will do.
Now your job is to bring this to a boil, lower the heat, put a lid on a little crooked so the steam can escape - and let this cook for 2-3 hours.
Besides smelling divine and making you hungry, you'll know the chicken is done when you poke around and its suddenly falling apart.
Now how does one separate that amazing broth from the chicken and cooked vegetables?
I highly suggest letting it cool a bit, pulling on some thick kitchen gloves and pull out the chicken, placing it on a rimmed cookie sheet standing by. It's a bit messy, you might miss some bits but don't worry, you can pull them out later.
With the chicken out, your liquid is quite reduced. I used a second big pot and a large colander for the next step.
Slowly pour the stock through the colander into the other pot. Do this in the sink. Please.
If your catch pot doesn't have enough room - stop - grab a bowl, clean out the colander (checking for succulent pieces of chicken), and repeat the filtering process. Set the pot(s) or multiple containers with the now clear stock aside - check for chicken in the colander and if you need the big pot just used for cooking the chicken for the next step then wipe it down and you're set to go.
Pour all the clear stock into one large or two smaller pots. It doesn't matter - its all about what you have to work with. At this point, our objective is to reduce the stock by at least a quarter.
Here is the stock after simmering for another couple of hours. That's about 2 inches of reduction.
However, if you could taste this stock, you would never used canned or carton stock again - the layers of flavor from the garlic, the fresh herbs and vegetables - it is sublime. It is ready to sip right now. It's just waiting for any recipe that calls for stock, gravy or sauce.
And that chicken we pulled out of the pot? I let it cool for ten minutes and then pulled the meat from the bones. A 6lb chicken gives me about 6 cups of meat. Now I'm ready to make soup AND enchiladas. I could also freeze this meat for later - much as I can do with the stock.
Cool the stock and, if not using immediately, freeze in 2 cup containers. Measure it out. Why not? Most soup recipes call for at least 4 to six cups of stock - so why not freeze it with labels that specify amounts so you don't have to defrost more than you want?
Thanksgiving tip: Make chicken stock a month in advance, freeze and then pull out the day before you are making gravy. You have ready made stock just waiting to be added to your gravy starter. Don't know how to make perfect gravy?
Let's talk...
1 large yellow onion
2 large carrots (about 2-3 cups worth)
4-5 celery stalks - washed and with as much of the leaves as you can get
4-6 big fat garlic cloves
1 sprig of rosemary (2-3 T dry)
2-3 sprigs of thyme (2-3 tsp. dry)
5-6 sage leaves (2 T. dry)
1 bay leaf
2 T. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Water to cover all the ingredients above
Options: You can add other vegetables like peppers, parsnips, corn, and/or leeks - but the taste will change. You can also add oregano or marjoram or red chili flakes. Throw in some wine - and just be aware that the flavor will be different than a traditional stock. That might be exactly what you want. If you aren't sure - follow the steps above and then take 3-4 cups of stock and experiment on it. Add your other inspired choices. Who knows what wonderful combinations will be discovered...
You won't do this, however, if you make your own stock.
And its easy. All you need are a few simple ingredients, a big pot, some freezing containers and time.
We're going to walk through this with an added dimension - I'm going to use a whole chicken. Most of the time, if I am making stock, I ask the person at the meat counter for chicken 'necks and backs'. Most of the time you can buy a few pounds really inexpensively. The butchers at the market often keep them in the freezer in back. They are usually frozen and ready to dump in a pot.
Today, however, I want to not only make stock but I want a bunch of cooked chicken for enchiladas. Buying a fryer - a whole chicken - is actually cheaper by the pound than pieces cut up. It's also cheaper to buy a whole bird and cut it up yourself rather than buying it all nicely pre-packaged. We pay for convenience.
Cover the chicken with cold water - a couple inches above the bird. This is why you need a big pot. Those whole chickens are pretty hefty.
I like throwing in fresh herbs. Really, its not that hard to have a pot sitting outside somewhere with a little rosemary, thyme and sage in it. For the most part these are really hardy herbs - but we can talk about that later. Right now, I want you to add in what you can get your hands on - dried or fresh and add it in to flavor the stock.
Oh, and toss in a nice fresh bay leaf as well.
Move the pot onto the stove (if you haven't already) and turn on the heat. This stock is going to simmer for quite awhile, so lets not waste time.
You can add all sorts of cut up vegetables whose flavors will be captured in your stock. Traditionally, the holy trifecta of onion, celery and carrots is used. This works for me. Simple and sweet.
One big onion, a couple large carrots (or the equivalency of) and 3-4 stocks of celery (with as much of the leaves as you can get) - all roughly chopped. Don't get fancy - we're just flavoring our stock - this will all be tossed out later.
Garlic is a must. Add 4-5 cloves. Leave the paper skins on, give each clove a nice crushing blow with your hand and the back of the knife - and throw in the pot.
It all starts to come together. Add a couple tablespoons of salt and a teaspoon of pepper. Freshly ground pepper is awesome but regular will do.
Now your job is to bring this to a boil, lower the heat, put a lid on a little crooked so the steam can escape - and let this cook for 2-3 hours.
Besides smelling divine and making you hungry, you'll know the chicken is done when you poke around and its suddenly falling apart.
I highly suggest letting it cool a bit, pulling on some thick kitchen gloves and pull out the chicken, placing it on a rimmed cookie sheet standing by. It's a bit messy, you might miss some bits but don't worry, you can pull them out later.
With the chicken out, your liquid is quite reduced. I used a second big pot and a large colander for the next step.
Slowly pour the stock through the colander into the other pot. Do this in the sink. Please.
If your catch pot doesn't have enough room - stop - grab a bowl, clean out the colander (checking for succulent pieces of chicken), and repeat the filtering process. Set the pot(s) or multiple containers with the now clear stock aside - check for chicken in the colander and if you need the big pot just used for cooking the chicken for the next step then wipe it down and you're set to go.
Pour all the clear stock into one large or two smaller pots. It doesn't matter - its all about what you have to work with. At this point, our objective is to reduce the stock by at least a quarter.
Here is the stock after simmering for another couple of hours. That's about 2 inches of reduction.
Maybe this seems a little labor intensive - its actually time intensive because it needs to simmer for long periods of time. And yes, with a whole chicken there are certain pots that are going to work better than others. A Big pot, a colander, a big bowl or another pot - these are items needed for this process.
However, if you could taste this stock, you would never used canned or carton stock again - the layers of flavor from the garlic, the fresh herbs and vegetables - it is sublime. It is ready to sip right now. It's just waiting for any recipe that calls for stock, gravy or sauce.
And that chicken we pulled out of the pot? I let it cool for ten minutes and then pulled the meat from the bones. A 6lb chicken gives me about 6 cups of meat. Now I'm ready to make soup AND enchiladas. I could also freeze this meat for later - much as I can do with the stock. Cool the stock and, if not using immediately, freeze in 2 cup containers. Measure it out. Why not? Most soup recipes call for at least 4 to six cups of stock - so why not freeze it with labels that specify amounts so you don't have to defrost more than you want?
Thanksgiving tip: Make chicken stock a month in advance, freeze and then pull out the day before you are making gravy. You have ready made stock just waiting to be added to your gravy starter. Don't know how to make perfect gravy?
Let's talk...
Recipe
1 6 lb. whole chicken1 large yellow onion
2 large carrots (about 2-3 cups worth)
4-5 celery stalks - washed and with as much of the leaves as you can get
4-6 big fat garlic cloves
1 sprig of rosemary (2-3 T dry)
2-3 sprigs of thyme (2-3 tsp. dry)
5-6 sage leaves (2 T. dry)
1 bay leaf
2 T. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Water to cover all the ingredients above
Options: You can add other vegetables like peppers, parsnips, corn, and/or leeks - but the taste will change. You can also add oregano or marjoram or red chili flakes. Throw in some wine - and just be aware that the flavor will be different than a traditional stock. That might be exactly what you want. If you aren't sure - follow the steps above and then take 3-4 cups of stock and experiment on it. Add your other inspired choices. Who knows what wonderful combinations will be discovered...
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