Roasted Chicken Stock
Good stock is the difference between a flat dish and one that carries depth. By roasting your ingredients first, you draw out sugars and proteins that a standard boil simply leaves behind.
Color is flavor
Do not rush the roasting phase; you are looking for dark mahogany spots on the bones, not just a light tan.
- Large heavy-bottomed roasting pan
- Stockpot (at least 6-quart capacity)
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Cheesecloth
What goes in.
- 4 lbchicken carcasses, wings, or necks
- 2 largeyellow onions, skin on, halved
- 3 stalkscelery, roughly chopped
- 2 largecarrots, roughly chopped
- 1 headgarlic, halved horizontally
- 1 bunchfresh thyme or parsley stems
- 2dried bay leaves
- 1 tspblack peppercorns
Dark roasting
Roasting the bones and vegetables at a high temperature creates the caramelization necessary for a robust, amber-colored stock rather than a pale, thin one.
The method.
Roast the bones
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Arrange bones in a single layer in the roasting pan. Roast for 45 to 60 minutes, turning once, until they are deeply browned.
Add aromatics
Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pan with the bones. Roast for another 20 minutes until the vegetables are shriveled and blackened at the edges.
Deglaze the pan
Transfer the contents of the pan to your stockpot. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium heat, add a splash of water, and scrape up every browned bit stuck to the bottom with a wooden spoon. Pour this liquid into the pot.
Simmer
Cover everything with cold water by two inches. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to the lowest possible simmer. Add the herbs and peppercorns.
Extract
Simmer uncovered for 3 hours. Skim any grey foam or excess fat that rises to the surface during the first hour.
Strain
Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean container. Discard the solids.
Other turns to take.
Poultry Plus
Add a few turkey wings if you have them for a thicker, more gelatinous body.
Umami Boost
Add a single dried shiitake mushroom or a small piece of kombu during the simmer.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always start with cold water to ensure a clear stock.
Do not salt the stock; keep it neutral so you can control the seasoning in the final dish.
Chill the stock overnight and remove the layer of solidified fat from the top before storing.
The ones that keep coming up.
Should I peel the onions?
Keep the brown papery skins on the onions; they provide a rich golden color to the final liquid.
Can I reuse the bones?
Once they have been simmered for 3 hours, their flavor and structure are exhausted. Compost them.
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