Making Chicken Stock

Now that university classes and exams have finished for the year, I have a lot more free time on my hands. Today I decided to make chicken stock. A few days ago we bought a roasted chicken from the supermarket to use the meat in sandwiches. We also got a chicken pasta bake from the meat as well. I wanted to use the entire bird (waste not want not). Also, stock is delicious. Especially home-made stock.

Note that this is just what I did… I’m not saying this is a perfect recipe.

At the start of cooking.

Ingredients:

  • The bones and skin from one (preferably free-range) roasted chicken.
  • A large onion.
  • About eight baby carrots. You could use one large one.
  • A stick of celery.
  • A few peppercorns.
  • A small handful of herbs.

Method:

  1. Break any large chicken bones into small pieces (this will help get the good bits out of the marrow) and divide the carcass up a bit smaller as well. Chuck it all in a large saucepan.
  2. Cut up the carrots and celery into small chunks. Chuck those into the pot.
  3. Cut the onion (with the skin still on) into quarters. Chuck that in the pot.
  4. Add enough cold water to the pot to cover the other ingredients well.
  5. Add a few peppercorns and whatever herbs you have handy (I used a small handful) into the pot.
  6. Put the saucepan on to boil, covered.
  7. When the saucepan is boiling, reduce the heat to low and remove the lid. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
  8. Leave it to simmer for three to four hours, then remove from the heat.
  9. Leave it to cool, then strain liquid and discard solids.
  10. Use the completed stock within four days, or freeze it.

Note that one bird doens’t make a huge amount of stock (probably about a litre), so it’s probably worth stockpiling the bones and skins until you have two or three. I was just impatient.