Chicken stock is a staple in my home and I usually have stock stored up in my pantry for times that I’m out of the homemade stuff. But, NOTHING can beat a homemade batch of chicken stock! Not only is it a healthy option but, you can control all of the seasonings that go into your stock. Like I said, I usually have store bought ones to use them when I’m in a bind but they can have additives and TONS of sodium in them and when you are trying to eat healthy, this isn’t ideal.
So, what does chicken stock start with? I mean aside from the star of the show… Chicken (and not just any part of the chicken but, we will get into that soon) The start of any good stock will be your Mirepoix. Your what?? Yes, even my husband can’t say Mirepoix (pronounced: Meer-PWAH) This is the base of many French dishes. It is a combination of Onions, Carrot and Celery, usually cooked in some butter or oil to bring out the flavors of each ingredient. The key to cooking it in the butter or oil is to NOT brown or caramelize them. You want to lightly sweat/saute these vegetables in order to extract the delicious aromas. The ratio of measuring your Mirepoix is 50% Onion, 25% Celery, 25% Carrots all diced in a small to medium dice. Now, for those who may see a ratio and totally freak out, no worries…I’m not the best at math (LIKE NOT AT ALL) so, to simplify it: If you need 1lb, (which is 16oz) of Mirepoix you will weigh out 8 oz of onions, 4 oz of celery and 4 oz of carrots. I always recommend weighing your ingredients BUT, if you don’t have access to a food scale, measuring cups are ok to use (so it translates to 1C onions, 1/2 C celery, 1/2 C carrots)
Next, your chicken bones. Now, my favorite parts to use of the chicken are the feet. You get a silky stock with an almost opaque white color which is great when you need a very light stock (plus, there is a ton of flavor that will come out from these) If you can’t find any chicken feet, that is OK! You can also use necks, wings and even chicken backs (In the recipe I made, I used a combination of feet and backs) Some people will use the leftover bones from a roasted chicken but, this won’t give you a silky stock that will be light in color. Either way, you use what you can get your hands on. As long as there are bones in them, you will get a flavorful stock that you will use in SO many dishes.
Now, your sachet d’epices (Pronounced: sa-SHAY DAY-pees) or your spice sachet. This is another key to the stock as it is another set of aromatics that will provide a punch of flavors. The ingredients for this stock will be Parsley stems, fresh thyme sprigs, bay leaves and whole peppercorns. You can place these in a piece of cheesecloth or into disposable tea bags (I found the tea bags at a local Asian supermarket but, you can find cheesecloth at most supermarkets).
That’s it! That is all you need to create a smooth, silky and flavor filled stock that you can store in your freezer for future use. Yes, it does take a few hours but, you will have made stock that will last you over the course of a few weeks or even months!
Basic Chicken Stock
Equipment
- Large Stock Pot (at least an 8qt pot)
- Ladle
- Cheesecloth or tea bag for making your spice sachet
- Frozen Ice Packs
- 2 freezer bags
- Large Strainer/Sieve
- 2 large bowls
- Food Scale
Ingredients
- 8-10 Lbs Chicken Feet You can use a combination of chicken feet, necks and backs or even wings. The less meat/skin they have on them, the lighter your stock color.
- 1 Lb Mirepoix (8oz Onion, 4oz Carrots, 4oz Celery) Diced Be sure to weigh these instead of using measuring cups
- 5-6 qts Water
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 6 -8 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 tsp Whole Peppercorns
- 8-10 Parsley Stems
- a Piece of Cheese cloth or tea bag material for sachet
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- First, place your parsley, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaves into the cheesecloth or tea bag and tie off with a piece of kitchen twine or fold over the tea bag
- Place stock pot over medium heat and add oil. Add in the Mirepoix (onion, carrots and celery) stir and sweat for 3-4 minutes (making sure not to brown the vegetables)
- Next add in your chicken pieces, sachet of spices and your water. Raise heat to high and bring to boil. Lower to medium low and let the liquid slowly simmer for at least 4 hours. As it simmers, skim the top of the stock to remove some of the fat and impurities that will rise to the top (discard what you remove)
- Once the stock is done, strain it and remove the sachet. Discard the bones, sachet and vegetables.
- Once you have strained all of the stock into bowls (make sure not to over fill the bowls), place your frozen ice packs into freezer bags and place bags into the bowls. Once the stock is properly cooled, remove the freezer bags. Divide the stock into individual air tight containers and store in the freezer for future use. (Your stock will start to look like gelatin once it cools)**Be sure to label and date your containers so you know what is in the container and when you made it. Store for up to about 5 months in the freezer
