Chicken Stock

Chicken stock, sounds sexy, huh? I know it doesn’t, but what you can do with it sure is. Chicken stock is to soups what the backbone is to the body, it gives it something to hold it self up on. Stock is what a large assortment of sauces, soups and stews are built upon (risotto anyone?). What a lot of people don’t know is how ridiculously easy it is to make.

Seriously, all you need is the leftovers of a cooked chicken, some common (and inexpensive) root veggies, and herbs if you have them. That’s it. The cost is next to nothing and you know where all of your ingredients came from (no secrets here). And it impresses the guys in the firehouse to no end. “Homemade Chicken Stock, really? Man, that’s gourmet…” Cut to you nodding your head and smiling because you know the truth. Just don’t be stingy and share it.

Episode 32 - Chicken Stock - You have nothing but he remains of a roasted chicken after the Super Bowl and don't know what to do with it... Let's save some money and make our own homemade Chicken Stock. In this episode we discuss what binds a Bouquet Garni, that not all spiders are evil and that broth and stock are not the same thing. Visit www.thefirehousechef.com for more.

Formats available: MPEG-4 Video (.m4v)

Fuel

Cooked Chicken Carcass (bones and skin)

Onion (1 chopped)

Carrots (3-4 stalks chopped)

Celery (3-4 stalks chopped)

Garlic (3-4 cloves cut in half)

Rosemary (2-3 stalks)

Thyme (15-20 sprigs)

Bay Leaf (1 dry)

Tools

Deep Pasta Pot (with a strainer if you have one)

Spider (in the event you don’t have a strainer)

Cheesecloth

Ladle

Tactics

Place the herbs in the cheesecloth and tie together to make the Bouquet Garni. Add all vegetables, chicken parts and Bouquet Garni to the pot and add enough water to cover. Place on stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 3-6 hours (cooking time depends on the amount of gelée you want your stock to have, the longer cooking time the more gelée). Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool completely. Using either the built in pasta strainer or a spider, remove the majority of larger parts form the stock. Then place the cheesecloth over the container of choosing and using a ladle filter the stock over the cheesecloth. The stock will can remain in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months. When removed from the fridge, use a spoon or cheesecloth to remove the congealed fat. Enjoy.