I shared a recipe last week for Pork Medallions in Marsala and Mushroom Sauce and received quite a few requests on how to make chicken stock.
I know I must have share my recipe for home made chicken stock before but with more than 400 recipes posted in my blog, I had quite a bit of problems finding the recipe.
Hence the decision to write a stand-alone post on how to make chicken stock.
I use chicken stock very regularly when I cook. Whenever possible, I will make the stock and freeze for later use. Of course I don’t always have the time, and I do run out of home made stock pretty quickly. When that happens, I use store-bought stock. I try to buy low-sodium stock when I can but it is not a big deal to dilute normal chicken stock with water.
I think the most important step to making a good chicken stock is to roast the carcass and any spare parts you have on hand. Heston Bluementhal recommends the use of chicken wings to make stock, but he is head chef at the three Michelin star The Fat Duck restaurant and I am just a home cook. How to afford chicken wings stock?! (FAINT!) Besides, chicken wings are just too darn tasty to be used for stock making!!
Anyway, enough rambling. Here are the instructions on how to make chicken stock! 🙂
Start by chopping the onion, carrot and celery into rather big chunks. There is no need to peel the vegetables. Place them in a roasting tray.
If you have other vegetables that are about to “die”, you can also chuck them in. Don’t waste anything, that’s what I always say.
Place the chicken carcasses and parts on the vegetables. I used chicken backbone and feet. Sometimes I add chicken necks if I can find some. If you have the stomach for it, you can also throw in some chicken heads. *EEK*
Roast this in the oven at 180°C for an hour.
Transfer this into a stock pot. Add bay leaves, rosemary and peppercorns. You can add herbs like thyme if you have some too.
Bring to a boil and simmer this for 45 minutes to an hour. You may have to top up the liquid during the cooking process. Do give everything a stir occasionally.
Turn off the heat and allow the stock to cool.
Strain the stock.
Transfer the stock into a container and place in the fridge over night. The fat will float to the top. Remove this.
And you have chicken stock ready to be used!
The stock can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, I keep them (flat) in ziplock bags so I can stack them in the freezer, and this also makes thawing faster.
- 3 chicken carcasses
- 4 medium carrots
- 6 stalks celery
- 1 large onion
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorn
- Start by chopping the onion, carrot and celery into rather big chunks. There is no need to peel the vegetables. Place them in a roasting tray.
- Place the chicken carcasses and parts on the vegetables.
- Roast this in the oven at 180°C for an hour.
- Transfer this into a stock pot. Add bay leaves, rosemary and peppercorns.
- Bring to a boil and simmer this for 45 minutes to an hour. You may have to top up the liquid during the cooking process. Do give everything a stir occasionally.
- Turn off the heat and allow the stock to cool.
- Strain the stock.
- Transfer the stock into a container and place in the fridge over night. The fat will float to the top. Remove this.
- The stock can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, I keep them (flat) in ziplock bags so I can stack them in the freezer, and this also makes thawing faster.
Diana,
Thanks for this post. This is so useful.
I do make stock and store in the fridge for my boys to cook noodle on their own after school.
But I don’t toast the ingredients. Will definitely try this.
Great Amy! Lemme know what you think!
I so need to start making my own stock, but I’ve been so lazy I just do without 😀
When I lived in the UK, chicken wings were like a pound for a whole bag of ’em, since nobody wants to eat them, so probably that’s why Heston uses them for his stock! LOL
Yes I heard from my Danish friends no one eats the wings so they ship them all to Asia. But it seems the Americans are starting to eat a ton of wings now too!
How much water should I use?
I filled up the water till 1 inch above the ingredients and use pressure cooker to boil for 30mins.
I cannot get the jelly effect.
Why is it so?
Thank you
Did you place it in the fridge?
Yes, place it overnight.
Pls see here: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/5-reasons-why-your-stock-wont-gel/
Thank you very much!
Think my heat is too high, will try it again:)
Once this stock is ready for use, is it considered concentrated stock or i should add water to it?