Every opportunity we get to make our own Chicken Stock not only helps to stretch our budget but the flavor that stock adds to the most basic recipes cannot be denied, simply replacing chicken stock for the water in an ordinary recipe can add a little extra to the dish. We will even use it as the cooking medium for noodles when making homemade Chicken and Noodles for the family. It helps to infuse flavor throughout the entire dish, and as the base to a Chicken and Noodle Soup there is nothing better.
Whether you have just begun to explore the culinary world or are a seasoned veteran you need to know how to make your own Chicken Stock, it’s one skill that is indispensable in the kitchen.
I call it a skill and it is the most basic one that you can master, there truly is little you can do to mess it up.
Let”s get to the basic how-to…
When possible you should cook an entire chicken. We try to do this on the weekend, that gives us all week to enjoy the benefits. Might I suggest either making your own Rotisserie Chicken in the slow cooker or roast a couple in the oven. Save all the innerds (technical term for the heart liver and gizzard if they come with the bird) you’ll want to add them to the pot.
Let’s put the ingredients together to make the stock…
The beauty of making your own stock is that there is only one standard ingredient, the chicken carcass. You can add almost anything else you can think of to make it your own, veggies and seasoning choices are almost endless. Normally we will add celery, onion and carrots to the pot and during the winter we’ll add garlic to help during the cold and flu season. To finish off just add salt and pepper to taste.
Once you have added all to a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil, turning down to a simmer and let it cook until the liquid reduces by half. Strain and drain through a colander into a large measuring cup or container, refrigerate or freeze if you aren’t using the Chicken Stock right away.
Print
Chicken Stock Basics
A basic Chicken Stock recipe from PocketChangeGourmet.com
- Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1 Chicken carcass
- 1 Onion, rough chopped (large, medium; white, red even green it doesn’t matter)
- 5–6 stalks of Celery, rough chop
- 3–4 large Carrots, rough chop (you can also use a couple large handfuls of baby carrots)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a large pot
- Cover with water and bring to a boil
- Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduce by half
- Strain through a cheesecloth lined strainer
- Refrigerate for up to 7 days
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
Linking to…Frugal Friday, Gooseberry Patch
1 Comment
We make turkey stock because my daughter is allergic to chicken. Last time we even threw in a duck carcass. Making stock is a great skill to have and is great because you know what is in it.