Simple Roasted Chicken Stock

This recipe is all about using the whole bird. After using our roasting method, you can put your carcass or bones in a bag, date and freeze them until you are ready to make this stock. We typically make our stock the day after having roast chicken dinner since our freezer space is limited. Any leftover chicken meat goes into a soup in which this stock is the base like our Summer Corn Chicken and Dumplings.

What is the difference between broth and stock? Technically, stock is made from bones and water. Broth is made from bones and stock. Broth is a fortified stock or a stronger version of stock. It has bones AND already made stock so it is more flavorful. I rarely make broth since stock from roasted bones has so much flavor but broth is as easy to make as stock if you already happen to have stock in your freezer.

The Recipe

YIELD

About 2.5 quarts

INGREDIENTS

bones of 1 whole roasted chicken

1 onion, trimmed, peeled and quartered

3 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 carrot, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 bunch thyme ( 1 tablespoon dry)

1 bay leaf, dry or fresh

1 teaspoon black peppercorns, whole ( skip pepper if you don’t have these)

water or chicken stock to cover plus a little more, roughly 3 quarts

METHOD

Add all ingredients to a 4 or 5 quart stock pot. Don’t sweat it on the pot choice. You are using the bones of one chicken, so a huge pot is not necessary. If it’s a big pot and you fill it, you will have watered down flavor. This isn’t about quantity, it’s about quality. One recipe of this stock should yield enough stock or base for a soup recipe for 4 adults.

Add water or stock to the point of covering the bones and veg plus about 2 inches more ( it is not an exact science here). You’re making this with out a lid so you will lose product due to evaporation. You want to make sure you have liquid covering everything plus some more for reduction.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. You need to see bubbles, even small ones, moving throughout your stock the whole time. If there are no bubbles, it is not cooking and not hot enough.

Simmer, uncovered, for anywhere from 1 - 2 hours. Normally chicken stock is made from raw chicken bones and takes 2-4 hours to make. However, since you are using the left over bones from a roast chicken, this stock will not take as long. The longer you cook it, the deeper the flavor. If you cook it for too long, too much will evaporate and you won’t have much stock at the end of the process.

Strain through a basket sieve into a clean metal bowl and chill. Metal transfers heat better than glass. You want this because you want your stock to cool down quickly. The longer something stays just warm, even in the fridge, the better the environment for harmful bacteria to grow. The temperature danger zone is 40F - 140F ( 4C - 60C). You want your stock to get below 40F within two hours. In restaurants, we do this by cooling our product in a metal bowl over another bowl of ice and water ( an ice bath). At home, I pour my stock into a clean metal bowl and put it directly into my refrigerator. I don’t check the temps at home but always make sure to bring anything I’m reheating to a full boil before serving.

You do not need to season stock. Especially this stock, since you are using roasted bones. If you brined your bird before roasting, the bones will be plenty salty. Also, you want to season the finished product. That means you want to wait to season your soup or curry or gravy when you are making it. In short, don’t season stock, season soup.

Please feel free to email me directly if you have any questions. I want you to feel empowered in your kitchen and your feedback helps. Happy cooking!