Chicken Stock

Whenever I roast a chicken, or Turkey, the next day I make a stock. This way, when I make soup or curry or risotto out of the left overs, I have a wonderful home made broth to use instead of the store bought stuff. Plus, it has the added benefit of allowing me to use the entire bird. Nothing goes to waste. What's not to love about that.

There are many different methods to make stock. My personal favorite is to take a carcass to my sister's house and...voila...two days later I pick up stock. But if you don't have a sister who is as willing/able to make you stock as mine is, you can easily make it yourself.

Inspiration: Monday's Roasted Chicken
Time: 10 minutes prep and 3-8 hours to cook
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: 12 quart pot, cheese cloth
Servings: 8 cups or so of stock

Ingredients
1 carcass (chicken or turkey) including all the bones from the drumsticks, wings and thighs
5-8 carrots, cut in half
4-8 stalks of celery, cut in half
2 onions, quartered, skins left on (they darken the broth)
3 cloves of garlic - smashed by the side of a chef knife, skins are okay
3-4 sprigs of thyme
3-4 sprigs of rosemary
8-12 pepper corns
1-2 bay leaves
Cold water to fill the pot

1. Trim any meat from the carcass that you still want to eat. But leave meat on the carcass as it helps flavor the stock

2. Dump all ingredients into the pot. Fill with water.

3. Over high heat, bring pot to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to maintain a low, gentle simmer. If you see scum floating to the top, skim it off with a spoon or a fine mesh strainer. Let simmer uncovered for 3-8 hours (the longer the better). Add hot water to the pot to keep the carcass and bones covered.

4. After done simmering, let cool, and then pour through a strainer lined with cheese cloth into a large container with a lid or pot. Discard the carcass and veggies. Cover and refrigerate stock over night. In the morning skim off the solidified fat from the top.

5. Store in refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.