Roasted Chicken Part 3 Chicken Stock

This post is a continuation from the past two days talking about roasting a chicken. I usually roast a chicken for dinner and then the next day make stock and that night use part of my stock. Making chicken stock can be a bit time consuming, but it tastes so much better than store bought and you can add flavors you enjoy.

In my previous post, I said that after I get the meat off the carcass, I put the chicken bones in a container to save. When I get ready to make stock, take the bones (they’ll still have a little meat on them, which is great because that adds to the flavor of the stock) and put in a stock pot (or large pot that can hold a lot). When you got ready to roast the chicken, I told you to put the innards aside for later. Now is later. You definitely want to use the neck in the stock. Some people say the liver, heart and other assorted innards can make the stock bitter. I use them because I hate the idea of wasting them, but if it grosses you out you can throw them away. Add vegetables or pieces of vegetables. I generally add part of the onion that had been inside the chicken (the part we didn’t eat), the parts of carrots I had removed like the top and bottom and the peel when I take off the outer layer. The cob from the corn if I made some for pot pies or whatever other dish I used my chicken for.

Here’s the thing. If you read professionals about making stock, they’ll say use whole vegetables because you want lots of rich flavor. These are also the people who say not to use the gizzards. This is true and you should probably listen to them. My philosophy, however, is that I want to utilize everything so that I’m minimizing waste. That’s why I use the tops and ends of carrots and whatever else I had peeled off or cut away in cooking. Every time I make stock it tastes different because I never use the same ingredients twice. That said, using too many potatoes give it kind of a weird taste. Broccoli can also give it a strange taste, though I use a little if I’ve been cooking with it. My ideal stock would be the chicken bones with a little meat on them, the neck, carrots, celery, onion, a little salt and pepper, and some fresh thyme from my herb garden.

Okay, so in the pot you have the chicken bones, the vegetables, the innards (whichever ones you’ve chosen to use) and add salt and pepper. Now you’re ready to add water. Put enough water in to completely cover the chicken and the vegetables. Turn the stove on to medium high heat and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, turn the heat down and let it simmer. The longer it simmers the more rich the flavor will be. If the water starts getting low, you can add more but if you have enough to start with and don’t let the heat get too high, you probably won’t have to add more. I usually let mine simmer for at least 3 or 4 hours. If you did put the innards in, make sure they have completely boiled and are cooked so that the stock doesn’t have anything undercooked in it.

Once you’re satisfied with the stock, strain out all the solids so that you’re just left with your stock. You can always add more salt and pepper if needed. At this point you can use the pieces for compost or throw them away. You’ve definitely gotten your money’s worth out of the chicken!

I divide my stock into small containers and freeze what I won’t be using right away. By freezing it into 1 or 2 cup increments, you know how much you’re getting out when you need it. If you’re going to make chicken noodle soup, you will probably go ahead and use all your stock.