Homemade Chicken Stock

I am convinced that homemade chicken stock is one of the best kept secrets in cooking.  I have to admit that I am a recent convert.  When I first learned how to debone a chicken, I really did not believe that I would have the time and energy to make my own stock on a regular basis.  Now I make stock nearly every weekend.  My husband calls it the "magic stock" because all of my recipes are so much improved just by using it.  The best part, is that it is extremely simple. 

Stock is basically made of just raw bones and water.  The other ingredients are for added savory flavor.  If you have tried to make stock out of cooked bones (like a roast chicken carcass), you were probably disappointed by the result.  This is because cooked chicken bones no longer contain collagen, the ingredient needed to make stock.  For those chemistry buffs out there - stock is made by covering bones with collagen in them with cold water, then bringing to a boil to convert the collagen to gelatin.  It is the presence of gelatin in stock that allows the flavors to linger in your mouth when you're eating.  It also gives it a tiny bit of body.  Not much, but just enough to notice.

My last post described how to debone a chicken to give you the bones needed for your stock.  You may be wondering where to get enough vegetable bits.  My sauces teacher advised us to keep a freezer baggie in the freezer and when you're cutting up onions, carrots, or celery, just throw the unusable ends and other bits into that bag.  Keep it in the freezer until you're ready to make stock.  Voila! 

You may also use herbs to flavor your stock.  A very classic combination is parsley stems, dried thyme, and/or a bay leaf.  You can apply the same theory from saving unuseable bits of vegetables to your herbs - just throw the woody stems or other undesirable bits into the freezer bag as you go.  You'll add great flavor to your stock with the added bonus of using all of the herbs you pay so much for at the grocery.

So, to make the stock, you will need raw bones, vegetable pieces (onion, celery, and carrot work best), and any herbs you want to use (parsley stems and a bay leaf are classics). 

- Combine everything in a stock pot and cover with enough cold water that the bones and vegetables are submerged by a couple of inches. 

- Turn on the stove top and bring the water to a boil.  Leave uncovered to gently simmer or boil very softly for several hours.  Taste your stock periodically; you will be able to tell when it is condensing and developing.  If it seems too watery after a few hours, you can turn up the heat to boil off more of the water, further condensing the stock flavors.

- When your stock is done, pour through a sieve into a bowl.  You'll notice the vegetable bits are mushy and the bones are brittle (this is because there is no collagen left in them).  Make sure to press down on your mushy vegetables and brittle bones to get all of the flavorful stock out.  Throw away the used ingredients in the strainer.

- Season your stock with a little salt and pepper to taste.  You can either use your stock right away or let cool.  If you let it cool, the fat will rise to the top and solidify.  Just skim it off when you go to use your stock. 

What could be easier?  Just leave your simmering stock on and go about your morning or afternoon.  It is really hard to screw this up.  If you over-cook it, just add a little more water to dilute.  If it isn't condensed enough, keep boiling. 

And trust me, you'll be happy you have homemade stock during the week to add that extra TLC to your meals.  Happy cooking!