How to Make Chicken Stock

Mmm, the lovely smell and flavor of the liquid gold we call chicken stock is marvelous, and yet, so few home cooks bother to take advantage of one of the simplest and cost effective recipes in the modern age!

 

Packed with nutrients and flavor, chicken stock is often overlooked in the home kitchen, with most cooks using subpar store bought broths and "stock". It's time to stop doing yourself a disservice and stock (see what I did there?) your fridge with homemade chicken stock!

 

Ingredients

 

While chicken stock is typically made from whatever leftovers you want to use and with no set rules to follow, here is a simple list of ingredients guaranteed to pack your stock with flavor:

 

• any bits of leftover chicken (if you aren't buying whole chickens and breaking them down, now is a good time to start)
• 1 - 2 onions (yellow or white)
• 1 stalk of celery 
• 1 - 2 large carrots
• fresh thyme
• whole peppercorns

 

Instructions

 

You'll see here just how simple it is to make super flavorful chicken stock. It's probably a lot easier than you'd think.

 

1. Roughly chop the onion, celery, and carrot
2. Add the chicken and chopped vegetables to a pot
3. Fill the pot with enough water to cover about an inch above the chicken
4. Bring to a boil over medium - medium high heat
5. Directly after bringing to a boil, reduce heat to a low and gentle simmer
6. Add the thyme and peppercorns
7. Allow to cook for 3 - 4 hours, occasionally skimming any foam or gunk that rises to the surface
8. After simmering for 3 - 4 hours, turn off the heat, and filter out the stock 

 

Congrats! You know have your own very delicious stock! But why does it take so long? During the simmering process, the nutrients, like proteins and minerals, are leaching out from the bones and meat of the chicken. A very important component of stock is collagen, which takes a while to break down. 

 

You could shorten the process by adding gelatin to the stock, which replaces the need for collagen, but why not allow your home to smell delicious for a while, and truly squeeze every ounce of nutrients and flavor from the chicken? 

 

As you can no doubt see by now, making stock at home reduces food waste by squeezing everything out of leftover chicken parts and vegetables, leaving you with a delicious and nutrient dense liquid you can use for soups, adding flavor to vegetables, sauces, and so much more!