Traditional Chicken Stock
Great stock is built on bones, not meat, and requires patience. You roast the carcasses until browned, simmer them gently with aromatics and cold water for several hours, and strain while hot to ensure a clear, clean base for your soups and braises.
Commit to the simmer.
Stock cannot be rushed. If you boil it, the fats will emulsify and cloud the liquid, leaving you with a dull, milky broth instead of a clear, golden stock.
- large heavy-bottomed stockpot
- roasting pan
- fine-mesh sieve
- cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel
- ladle
What goes in.
- 4 lbchicken carcasses, wings, and necks
- 2yellow onions, skin on, halved
- 3carrots, roughly chopped
- 3celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 headgarlic, halved horizontally
- 1 bunchfresh parsley stems
- 2bay leaves
- 1 tbspblack peppercorns
- 4 qtcold water
The foundation of clarity
Always start with cold water. As the temperature rises slowly, it allows the collagen and proteins to release steadily into the liquid without shocking them into a cloudy suspension.
The method.
Roast the bones
Arrange the chicken parts in a roasting pan. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 45 minutes until the bones are deeply browned but not charred.
Combine
Transfer the roasted bones and any browned bits from the pan into your stockpot. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, herbs, and peppercorns.
Cover
Pour the cold water over the bones until they are submerged by at least two inches. Do not overfill.
Simmer
Bring the pot to a bare simmer over medium heat. Once small bubbles break the surface, reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Maintain this gentle movement for 4 hours.
Skim
Use a spoon or ladle to remove the grey foam that rises to the top during the first 30 minutes of cooking.
Strain
Set your sieve over a large container and line it with cheesecloth. Gently pour the stock through, discarding the solids. Let it cool before refrigerating.
Other turns to take.
Brown Stock
Roast the vegetables alongside the bones until they are deeply caramelized for a darker, deeper color.
Poultry-Only
Omit the vegetables entirely for a neutral stock that won't overpower specific flavor profiles.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Chill the finished stock overnight so you can easily lift the solidified layer of fat off the top.
Avoid adding salt until you use the stock in a final dish; you will have better control over seasoning later.
If you have leftover roast chicken carcasses in the freezer, save them in a bag until you have enough to fill your pot.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why does my stock turn out cloudy?
Usually because it was boiled too vigorously. Keep the heat low so the liquid barely trembles.
Can I use leeks?
Yes, but wash them thoroughly. Dirt trapped in leek layers is a common cause of gritty stock.