Homemade Chicken Stock
This is a very simple chicken stock recipe that requires little prep work with very flavorful results. I save any and all chicken bones that I acquire from processing chicken. I save all of my chicken backs, necks, and wing tips. If I need boneless skinless chicken for a recipe, I will buy either a whole chicken or just the parts and bone it out, then save the bones from the carcass. I also happen to have had a package of chicken feet in my freezer. Feet are great to use in stock and add a lot of collagen to it.If you are looking to have a darker chicken stock with a little more depth in flavor, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put your bones on a large baking sheet pan along with the onions, carrots, and celery. Drizzle a little olive oil over everything. Roast for 30 minutes. Then add everything to the stock pot and simmer for 6 hours. Strain, cool down, and refrigerate over night. The next day you will notice that all of the fat has congealed to the top of the stock. Skim that off and discard.I personally don't like to add salt to my stock. I think it's easier to adjust salt levels when you are using the stock in a recipe incase you have to add salt to other ingredients. You can't take away saltiness, but you can always add more.If you don't plan on immediately using your stock, it will be good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If you are making a mass quantity for later use like I do, ladle the stock into ice cube trays and freeze. Add them to a gallon sized freezer bag. 3 cubes = about 1/2 cup.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken backs, bones, and feet
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 large onion
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp white peppercorns
- 1 1/2 - 2 gallons water
Instructions
- Prep your veggies.
- Add the chicken bones, veggies, peppercorns, and water to a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 6 hours.
- Strain the stock in a colander. Let cool and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, you will see that all of the fat has solidified on the top of the stock.
- Skim the fat off the top with a spoon.
- You are now left with clean stock that is congealed from all of the collagen in the bones.
- Slightly heat up the stock until it uncongeals. Ladle the stock into ice cube trays and freeze.
- Once the stock cubes are frozen, put in a gallon sized freezer bag and save for later use. 3 cubes = about 1/2 cup of stock.
