Un-Americanize Your Diet

Homemade Chicken Stock

The trouble with homemade chicken stock is once you make it you will lever want to go back to store bought.  It has so much flavor and does not need much salt.  I am posting 2 different ways to make it- I hope you give it a try- it is worth the efffort.  I am also looking for ways to get a quick meal so when I make stock I use a whole chicken so I have precooked chicken for a quick meal another time.

Feingold Stage 1

CSA ingredients avaliable: carrots, garlic, celery, and chicken

Ingredients

2 whole chickens (organic or antibiotic- hormone free)

2 onions

4 carrots- peels on is fine

4 stalks of celery- stems and leafy part is fine

8 cloves of garlic

any fresh herb you like and have on hand

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure: Chop onions, celery, carrots and garlic. A food processor speeds this step up. Heat 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil in very large stock pot.  Add vegetables and saute until tender about 5 minutes.

Note: If you do not have a really big stock pot than cut this half to fit a smaller pot.

Now put the raw rinsed chickens into the pot plus any fresh herbs.  I remove the livers and add any "extras" the chicken comes with.  Fill the pot so that the water comes about 2 inches above the chicken. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 45 minutes.

Now remove the chicken and allow to cool enough you can handle it. Pull off all the cooked chicken meat. This can used for any recipe that calls for chicken.  I often put in freezer bags so I have chicken when I need a quick meal.  Add the bones, skins and thighs back to pot.  Simmer for another 1 1/2 hours. 

 Now strain the stock from the chicken.  I put through a large colander to remove the vegetables and bones.  You can strain again through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth if you wanta really clear stock.  Now add salt and pepper.  Don't add early because as the stock dissolves it could get too salty.  It does not take a lot of salt 1-2 tsp if often enough for the whole big pot. 

Allow to cool and freeze so it is ready. I like to freeze in 1 qt sizes and also freeeze in a ice cube tray if I need just a little stock in a recipe. 

METHOD 2

Another option is to make the stock in a crock pot.  Use half of the above ingredients (one onion, 2 carrots and celery, 1 chicken, 4 garlic).  Put vegetables in crock pot (sometimes I only cut into pieces instead of dice). Add chicken and fill with water to 1 inch of top of crock pot.  Cover and set crock on low for 8 hours.  Remove chicken after 4-5 hours to reserve meat and add back bones.  Strain like above.  It makes less but you don't have to watch the water temperture or even be home so it is a nice method.