Best 6 Saturday Chicken Stock Recipes

BASIC CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Place chicken parts in a stockpot just large enough to hold them with about 3 inches of room above (an 8-quart pot should do) and add enough water to cover by 1 inch (about 3 quarts). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, using a ladle to skim impurities and fat that rise to the top.
• Add vegetables, bay leaf, and peppercorns and reduce heat to a bare simmer (bubbles should just gently break the surface). Cook, skimming frequently, for at least 1 1/2 hours and up to 4 hours.
• Pass stock through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a large heatproof measuring cup or another bowl or pot; do not press on solids. Discard solids.
• Skim off fat if using immediately, or let cool completely (in an ice-water bath, if desired) before transferring to airtight containers. Refrigerate at least 8 hours to allow the fat to accumulate at the top; lift off and discard fat before using or storing stock.

LEFTOVER-ROAST-CHICKEN-STOCK

Steps:

• Bring all ingredients to a boil in an 8-qt stockpot. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming foam occasionally, 2 hours.
• Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. If you have more than 6 cups, boil to reduce; if less, add water. If using stock right away, skim off and discard fat. If not, chill stock (covered once cool) and discard fat after it solidifies.

GZ'S CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the chicken pieces on a sheet tray fitted with a rack and roast until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
• Put the chicken pieces in a large pot with the carrots, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaves, leeks, onions, apple and 1 gallon water. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 2 to 3 hours (do not let it come to a boil or the stock will become cloudy).
• Ladle the stock from the top of the pot into a strainer set over a large bowl. Place in an ice bath to cool quickly. Transfer the cooled stock to resealable containers. The stock can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 6 months.

QUICK CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Cut the wings off the chicken, then separate the leg-thigh quarters from the carcass. Cut the back away from the breast. Pull the skin off of the backbone and legs-thighs and put it aside. Leave the skin on the breast. Set the leg-thigh quarters and the breast aside. Remove as much meat as you can - without going crazy - from the wings; dice and refrigerate.
• Combine what's left of the wings with the backbone, onion, carrot, celery and bay leaf in a large pot with 4 cups water and turn the heat to high.
• Bring almost to a boil, then lower the heat so the mixture sends up a few bubbles at a time. Cook for 30 minutes, or an hour if you have more time.
• Cool slightly and strain, pressing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.

CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Place backs, necks, bones, and wings in a 16-to-20 quart stock pot; add enough water to cover (about 32 cups). Place a parchment paper round brushed with water in pot directly on surface of water to keep bones submerged. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pull pot off to side of burner so that impurities will move to one side.
• Meanwhile, line strainer with two layers of dampened cheesecloth set over a bowl. Simmer stock, skimming impurities with a ladle and straining them through prepared strainer (returning strained liquid to pot, for 2 hours, taking care to rinse cheesecloth and strainer in between uses. Occasionally, move bones around in stock pot using tongs, to prevent sticking.
• Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns to pot. Add more water, if necessary, to cover; simmer until stock has a rich chicken taste, 2 to 3 hours more.
• Line a large fine-mesh strainer with two layers of dampened cheesecloth; set strainer over a large storage container or bowl. Ladle stock from pot into strainer, disturbing bones as little as possible to avoid clouding the stock, tilting pot as necessary to get liquid from bottom. Discard bones and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature.

SATURDAY CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Pour olive oil into the bottom of a large roasting pan; top with chicken carcass pieces, carrots, onions, and celery.
• Roast in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until bones and vegetables are browned, about 1 hour.
• Transfer roasted chicken bones and vegetables to an 8-quart stockpot. Pour wine into the roasting pan, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits of food; pour into stockpot. Add peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, and thyme to stockpot. Cover the mixture with water and bring to a slow simmer. Set heat to low and simmer, straining off fat as needed, for at least 5 hours. Strain stock through a cheesecloth; refrigerate or freeze stock.