This light stock is made from chicken, either scraps from a previous cooking project or, more correctly, the untrimmed bones from a whole chicken and a classic mirepoix of white onions, carrots, and celery. It is lightly seasoned with whole black peppercorns, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.
To begin with gather the following ingredients:
- 8 Pound Whole Chicken, Cleaned of Useable Cuts of Meat
- 1 Gallon Cold Water
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 2 Small White Onions
- 2 Carrots
- 2 Ribs of Celery
- 2 Tablespoons Whole Black Peppercorns
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
When handling raw chicken always clean and sanitize the area, knives, and your hands with an antibacterial solution before and after use to help reduce the risk of cross contamination.
Recipe:
- Start by rinsing the chicken bones. If you do not have access to a whole chicken carcass, most supermarkets sell fresh chicken necks, which are an excellent substitute. Pat the chicken dry and chop into 3-6 inch pieces using a heavy chef knife. Place the bones in a large stockpot. Add the cold water. Cold water is important because it helps regulate the temperature of the stock, allowing the liquid to slowly rise to a simmer.
- Simmer the water and the bones for 3-4 hours. If the stock is kept at a low heat, then the water will not evaporate. Skim away any fat or impurities that float to the surface. A helpful tip is to set the stockpot slightly off center of the heat source. This will cause the fat and impurities to collect on one side of the pot.
- Rinse and chop the vegetables into uniform pieces, about a 1 inch dice. It is not necessary to remove the skin from the onions or the carrots. However, it will not affect the quality of the finished stock if you do. Add the chopped vegetables to the stockpot and continue to simmer for an hour. At this point it is important to taste the stock. This will help you understand how the herbs and spices affect the finished product.
- Add the peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Strain the stock using a ladle and a fine meshed sieve. It is important not to pour the stock through a colander as this will cloud the stock. The stock is now ready to use or it can be cooled and stored.
Tips:
Storage is often the main reason home chefs do not make their own stock. Fresh stocks have very short shelf lives. Even when they are refrigerated properly, they tend to sour in 4-5 days. However, they can be frozen, without affecting the quality, for several months. A clever tip is to fill plastic ice cube trays with the stock and freeze. This way a chef can use only the amount he/she needs without defrosting the entire batch.
Variations:
Once a chef has become familiar with the chicken stock process, he/she can begin to play with the herbs and spices added instead of the traditional peppercorns and bay leaves. Here are some ideas:
- Ginger, Lemongrass, and dried chilies.
- Tarragon and Rosemary.
- Wild Mushrooms Stems.
- Juniper Berries.
Each combination creates a unique and interesting flavor that can accentuate and enhance the final dish.
