Chicken stock is one of those staple ingredients that no pantry should ever be without. In a pinch, boxed stock is handy to have around but you really can't beat the flavor of a homemade stock. I never knew how easy it was to make until my husband and I started eating rotisserie chicken every Sunday last fall and winter. (Rotisserie chickens are discounted to just $5 on Sundays at our local grocery store!)I hated wasting the carcass with bits of meat still attached to it so I did some Googling and experimenting and figured out how to make my own chicken stock.
More often than not, I use the stock right away as a base in homemade soups and stews, but it can keep in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months. It's a great way to get your money's worth out of your groceries because not only are you utilizing all of your chicken, but you can also use up all of your leftover vegetables in the resulting soup as well.
Homemade Chicken Stock
What You'll Need
- two large stock pots
- a colander
- a chicken carcass (it's okay if it still has meat attached)
- a large onion, quartered
- a few cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and chopped in half
- roughly chopped carrots or celery if you have them on hand (a few each will do)
- a tablespoon or more to taste of Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Place all of the ingredients in the stock pot, then cover completely with water.
- Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for about three to four hours, until the water has turned to a pale golden yellow.
- Place the colander on top of the other stock pot, then strain the stock into it. Careful not to splash the hot liquid on yourself!
- Let cool before refrigerating or freezing.
- Enjoy!
Note: The ingredients aren't exact for a reason...I use whatever I have on hand and it always turns out just delicious!
P.S. If you have one of those nifty pasta pots with the insertable strainer, this will work perfectly for making your own stock. You can just lift the bits right out without dirtying another pot! Also, if you really want to get every last chicken bit out of the liquid, strain it again through a wire mesh strainer.
Oooh, I make stock all the time, but never thought to use my pasta insert! That's a great idea, especially since I never actually use that thing for pasta!
P.S. I also like to freeze some of my stock in ice cube trays. I find that sometimes I need just a little stock for sauces or gravy.
Posted by: Sarah | October 20, 2009 at 01:47 PM
I hate buying whole chickens because I am LAZY about chopping them up, but I do love making vegetable stock. Plus, then I don't have to scrape the fat off the top. I have some vegetable stock in my fridge right now!
Posted by: Janssen | October 20, 2009 at 07:41 PM