Making Proper Chicken Stock
Chicken stock is the result of a long, gentle simmer of bones, aromatic vegetables, and water. By pulling the gelatin from the joints and the flavor from the mirepoix, you create a building block that forms the backbone of soups, stews, and pan sauces. The key is patience; a rolling boil will cloud the liquid, but a slow, steady bubble will keep it clear and concentrated.
Commit to the simmer.
Clear your afternoon so the pot can sit undisturbed. You are extracting collagen, not cooking dinner.
- 8-quart heavy-bottomed stockpot
- fine-mesh strainer
- ladle
- large bowl for cooling
What goes in.
- 4 lbchicken carcasses, wings, or necks
- 2large yellow onions, quartered with skins left on
- 3carrots, roughly chopped
- 3celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 headgarlic, halved horizontally
- 1 bunchfresh parsley stems
- 2dried bay leaves
- 1 tspblack peppercorns
- 4 qtcold water
The Gentle Simmer
Maintain a 'lazy bubble'—just one or two bubbles breaking the surface every few seconds. Aggressive boiling emulsifies the fat and debris, resulting in a murky, cloudy stock.
The method.
Brown the bones
Roast chicken bones in a 400°F oven for 30 minutes until deep gold. This adds depth and color to the final stock.
Combine
Place bones, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, herbs, and peppercorns into the stockpot and cover with cold water.
Bring to heat
Set heat to medium-high until just before the boil. Skim off any gray foam that rises to the surface.
Simmer
Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and let it go for 4 hours. Do not stir.
Strain
Carefully ladle the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large container. Press the solids gently, but do not mash them through the mesh.
Chill
Cool the stock rapidly in an ice bath or the refrigerator before storing.
Other turns to take.
Roasted Stock
Increase roasting time for bones and vegetables until dark mahogany for a richer, darker liquid.
Ginger-Scallion Stock
Add 3-inch chunks of smashed ginger and whole scallions for an aromatic base suitable for noodle soups.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always start with cold water; it extracts proteins and aromatics more effectively than hot water.
Leave the skins on the onions for a rich golden hue.
If you have a thin layer of fat on top after refrigerating, lift it off with a spoon to clarify the stock further.
The ones that keep coming up.
Should I salt the stock while cooking?
No. Salt your final dish when you use the stock. This gives you control over the salt levels when reducing it into a sauce.
How long does this keep?
It will last 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
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