One of the fundamentals in my kitchen is chicken stock. Whenever I can, I use it instead of water. It always takes a dish to another level, whether you use it to make rice, stew, soup, mashed potatoes, the list goes on and on. I do purchase chicken stock regularly, but if I have the time, I will make my own at home. This way, I know exactly what’s going in it, and I can be sure there aren’t any funny additives in the stock. With very little prep, you can make your own chicken stock too!
Whenever you have a leftover chicken carcass, freeze it and save it. Once you have 2 pounds of chicken bones, you can make this stock.
2 pounds of chicken bones
3 carrots, quartered
3 celery stalks, quartered
2 onions, quartered
1 head of garlic, cut in half
20 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 bunch fresh parsley
12 cups water
Place the carrots, celery, onions, garlic and herbs in a 14-16 quart stockpot.
If the chicken is raw, roast it in the oven at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, just to brown it and develop some flavor. If it’s cooked, you can skip this step.
Add the chicken into the stockpot and cover with 12 cups of water.
Bring the stock to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer . Cook for 2 hours. Strain the mixture, then pour it into containers. Use within 3 days, or freeze for long term storage (up to 3 months).
Homemade Chicken Stock
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of chicken bones
- 3 carrots quartered
- 3 celery stalks quartered
- 2 onions quartered
- 1 head of garlic cut in half
- 20 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 12 cups water
Instructions
-
Place the carrots, celery, onions, garlic and herbs in a 14-16 quart stockpot.
-
If the chicken is raw, roast it in the oven at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, just to brown it and develop some flavor. If it's cooked, you can skip this step.
-
Add the chicken into the stockpot and cover with 12 cups of water.
-
Bring the stock to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer . Cook for 2 hours. Strain the mixture, then pour it into containers. Use within 3 days, or freeze for long term storage (up to 3 months).