Chicken Stock

Chicken stock must be one of the most frequently published recipes in the world. Does anybody really need another version? Not if you already have a method you like, and use it regularly. But if you've never made real stock, or you're convinced you don't have the time to do it more than once a decade, read on.

Chefs and foodies love to rhapsodize about stock-making, and with good reason. The French regard stocks as the foundations of cuisine, used to flavor soups, sauces, stews, braises, pastas, rice dishes, you name it. When you dip your filet mignon into a sauce so meltingly rich that it makes you swoon, there's a good chance that what you are tasting is the quality of the stock.

Making stock requires an act of faith on the part of the cook. Nobody sees you do it. You have to start cooking a day or more in advance, trusting that all that invisible effort will shine through in the final product. If you substitute canned broth, will anybody know the difference? The result may still taste good, but if you ever want your food to transcend good, stock is one of the fundamentals that separates the amateurs from the pros. The line between the ordinary and the sublime begins here.

Although a whole chicken (or meat or fish) can be used for maximum flavor, stocks are most often made from bones and trim, for reasons of cost. To me, this is the best way to fully utilize the animal, and the transformation of the raw ingredients feels almost like kitchen alchemy, taking the stuff that might otherwise be discarded as garbage and turning it into liquid gold.

Stock-Making Basics

A stock is a flavorful liquid made by simmering fish, poultry, meat, and/or vegetables in water or broth. Beyond that simple definition, there are numerous techniques and variations that are well worth exploring. You can roast the bones and other ingredients before wetting them to add flavor and color, and fortify or concentrate the flavor in any number of ways.

You don't need to know all that to get started, however. The first goal is to get in the habit of making stock -- any stock. And to do that, you only need two things: bones, and time.

To get your hands on some bones, buy whole chickens and bone them yourself. Serve the rest of the bird for dinner, and save the bones and trim for stock. Freeze the carcasses until you have two or three saved up, then make a batch all at once.

Time may be harder to come by, since real stock needs to simmer for anywhere from 4-8 hours, depending on whom you ask. This isn't a problem in a professional kitchen where the stock pot is always on, but it is a problem if you work away from home during the day, and you don't want to leave a burner unattended. The solution is to use your crock pot (sometimes called a slow cooker), which is designed to cook all day -- or all night -- while your attention is elsewhere. I can't take credit for this idea, I got it from Mark Bittman. But it works for me, so I'm passing it on.

Crock pots, by the way, are much cooler than you think, and are great for braising, which is probably my favorite way to cook meat (though grilling still takes honors as the best way to cook while playing fetch with your dog). If you don't have one, get one.

White Chicken Stock

This is classified as a white stock because the bones aren't roasted beforehand.

2-3 chicken carcasses, including neck, wings, and leg bones as available. (Freeze the giblets for another use.)
1 medium onion
2-3 carrots
2-3 stalks celery
10 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Fresh parsley and thyme (2-3 sprigs each)

Note that you don't see salt listed in the above recipe. Unlike canned chicken broth, you never want to salt stock because it will concentrate as the stock reduces. You can always add salt later when you finish a dish, but you can't take it it out. Ditto for garlic or other distinctive flavorings. You want the stock to be as neutral as possible until you're ready to use it.

1. Set the chicken bones in the pot and add enough cold water to just cover the bones. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a lazy simmer, then reduce the heat before it boils. Don't ever let the stock boil or it will be cloudy. (If using a crock pot, start it on high, then reduce to low after it comes to temperature. Also make sure you have enough bones and water to fill the pot, since crock pots aren't designed to run empty. If the liquid dries up, the pot could overheat. Or that's my theory anyway. I've never tested it, and never plan to.) As the stock simmers, use a ladle to skim off any foam or other gunk that comes to the top.

2. After the stock has cooked for several hours, add the vegetables and other ingredients. Ideally you want to add the vegetables only for the last few hours of cooking, but the timing can be fluid if necessary (for example you can add them sooner if you need to leave for the day).

3. Continue to cook until done, anywhere from 4-8 hours. (Opinions vary, but I lean toward the longer time.) Follow your taste; if the flavor is weak, let it go longer.

4. Strain the stock through the finest strainer you own (and consider buying a finer one), and chill or freeze until you're ready to use it. The best way to quickly cool a pot of stock is to set it in a sink filled with cold water, occasionally replenishing the water so it stays cold. Or divide it into two smaller containers and set them in the refrigerator. The idea is to avoid overwhelming your fridge with a huge pot of very hot liquid, but obviously it's a judgement call depending on how much you make relative to the size of your fridge. After it cools, you can skim the fat off the top. (You can even save the fat to make chicken liver paté or a roux for gravy, but that's another subject.)

If you freeze the stock, you may want to divide it into several smaller containers so you can use a cup or two at a time as needed.

Comments

[Keith Povall]

I'm too lazy to make stock most of the time, but did so on Christmas eve, with a beef stock. I had so much I didn't really know what to do with it, so poured about two pints into the beef roasting tin. The roast potatoes were so damned good having soaked up that stock, I could have sold em for a pound a piece. I didn't though, I scoffed the lot through the day. Yeah, stock really is the route to excellent cuisine.

[ellen]

I love making stock and find it very esy to do in the evening when I get home. It lasts forever and has such an excellent flavor. Nice article.

Ellen