Chicken broth/stock

[patsyk]

Ok, after my soup success last weekend (and I am planning to make more this weekend to fill my freezer)... I was thinking the next thing to tackle is chicken broth/stock. I'd love to be able to pull out some homemade broth to make matzah ball soup, or chicken noodle soup or use it to cook with... but, how do I begin?

Is it ideal to roast a chicken and use it's bones for the stock? Or use the whole chicken, meat and all? Should I use a bouquet de garni (sp?) that I have read about... what about veggies (onions, celery, carrot, etc)?

I have seen tons of recipes for doing this, and I really just want to find one that is T&T and most importantly flavorful, which is the main point of making it yourself, right?

I just don't want to put in the time and effort to do this and find I have a freezer full of blah chicken broth that I have to doctor up each time I want to use it... it just defeats the purpose!

[mrswaz]

I think it depends what flavor you are going for. I've seen plenty of chicken stocks that use uncooked chicken. For myself, stock is a way to use leftovers. I use the carcass left after roasting a chicken. The carcass and the wings. I can help with somewhat of a method...

I take my carcass (chicken or turkey, actually) and put it in a big pot. Toss in one or two onions, cut in half-but not peeled. Add about 3 stalks of celery, cut into 3-4 inch pieces, and 3-4 carrots, washed and cut into fourths. If you wanted you could also add a clove or two of garlic (not my favorite) or a few small pieces of fennel (not too much or it overwhelms). Corn cobs also add to an excellent stock, as do mushrooms at times. Add about 1/2 tsp peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, and your choice of herbs. If I have them I use a bouquet garni of fresh basil and thyme. If I don't have the garni, I add a few healthy dashes of dried. Cover everything with cold water and place on the stove. Season generously with kosher salt and put on med-low heat. Keep an eye on it and turn it down to low/simmer just before it looks like it wants to boil. (You don't want stock to boil). Now simmer it for as long as you wish. I find 4-6 hours is perfect. About once an hour I go back, give the pot a stir, and a tiny taste to check the seasonings, occasionally adding more kosher salt.

Once my stock is perfect, I strain everything out and put the whole pot in the fridge overnight. The next day I scrape off any fat, portion off and freeze as I see fit.

It really is a labor of love, and the results are soooo worth it. And of course, one of the things I really love is when I use a more uniquely seasoned bird to start with (Lemon-pepper, teriyaki, etc.). That adds a whole different flavor to the stock, and I label it accordingly. When you are choosing vegetbales for your aromatics, as far as I know, you want to stay away from the veggies like cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, and brussel sprouts.

Hoep this helps somewhat. Just give it a whirl, adding what you like. It may take a few trials before you get it right, but once you've nailed chicken stock, you can make any kind of stock your heart desires.

[ttubbs]

The recipe is from Professional Cooking, a culinary textbook, but will scale for home as well. Notice that it is just a rough formula of:

5 parts (in pounds) bones
5 parts (in quarts) water
1 parts (in pounds) mirepoix (which is itself 2 part onion, 1 part carrot, and 1 part celery)
1 sachet/bouquet garni

I’ve done it with just the bones from a single rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. You only end up with a cup or maybe two, but it’s the same process for ten pounds or ½ pound.

You can use fresh bones (i.e. you just boned the chicken yourself) or ones left after roasting, works the same either way. I think the biggest key is to start with cold water, as some of the extraction that takes place works better in cold.

Hope that helps

* Exported from MasterCook *

Basic White Stock 1

Recipe By :Wayne Gisslen
Serving Size : 256 Preparation Time :0:20
Categories : Buffet Dinner
French Lunch
Party Side
Stock

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
10 pound chicken bones -- or veal or beef bones, (see Note)
10 quarts water -- (see Note)
MIREPOIX:
1 pound onion -- chopped
8 ounce carrot -- chopped, (optional)
8 ounce celery -- chopped
SACHET:
1 each bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorn
6 each parsley stems -- (see Note)
2 each whole cloves

Review instructions for stock preparation.

If beef or veal bones are whole, cut them into 3 4 inch (8 10 cm) pieces with a meat saw. Rinse the bones in cold water.

Blanch the bones: place them in a stock pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Drain and rinse.

Place the bones in the stock pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and skim the scum carefully.

Add the mirepoix and sachet ingredients (tied in cheesecloth).

Simmer for required length of time, skimming the surface as often as necessary. (Beef and veal: 6-8 hours, Chicken: 3-4 hours). Add water if necessary to keep bones covered.

Strain through a china cap lined with several layers of cheesecloth.

Cool the stock, vented, in a water bath and refrigerate.

Serving Size: 1 fl ounce

Source:
"Professional Cooking, 5th Edition"
S(ISBN):
"0-471-43625-9"
Copyright:
"Professional Cooking, 5th Edition, page 130"
Yield:
"2 gal"
T(Cook):
"4:20"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 1 Calories; trace Fat (9.8% calories from fat); trace Protein; trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 2mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

NOTES : NOTE
Bones and water can be increased by 20%.

VARIATIONS
Prepare White Lamb Stock, Turkey Stock, and Ham Stock according to the basic procedure, substituting the appropriate bones.

Vegetable Stock
Omit the bones. Reduce the water to 9 quarts. Use half the quantity of onions and celery in the basic recipe. Add the following ingredients: 1/2 ounce garlic, chopped; 4 ounces leeks; 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced; 2 ounces fennel, sliced. Sweat the onion, garlic, and leek in 1/2 ounce olive oil before adding the remaining ingredients. Cook the stock 30-45 minutes.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

[sneezles]

I prefer to make a version of CL's Brown Chicken Stock. I prefer it because I can sub it for beef stock in most recipes. When I make it I make about 4 gallons and freeze in 2 1/2 cup containers. I buy backs and wings since the meat is fairly well done and not too my liking when using whole chicken or better parts. I also add just about any veggie except for asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower and beets. My favorites being leeks, mushrooms, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and bell peppers. I also like the taste that the fennel stalks impart.


Brown Chicken Stock


Cut up 2 (3-pound) chickens, or use any combination of thighs, drumsticks, or breasts to make this chicken stock. Use a pan large enough to roast the chicken and all the vegetables in a single layer. If the pan is too small, the chicken won't brown properly.
This recipe goes with Chicken Noodle Soup with Fresh Tarragon, Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, Matzo Ball Soup, Posole (Tomatillo, Chicken, and Hominy Soup)

1/4 pound fennel stalks, cut into 2-inch-thick pieces
3 carrots, cut into 2-inch-thick pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into 2-inch-thick pieces
1 medium onion, unpeeled and quartered
6 pounds chicken pieces
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
6 parsley sprigs
5 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
16 cups cold water, divided

Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange the first 4 ingredients in the bottom of a broiler or roasting pan, and top with chicken pieces. Bake at 400° for 1 1/2 hours, turning the chicken once every 30 minutes (chicken and vegetables should be very brown).

Place the peppercorns, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves in an 8-quart stockpot. Remove vegetables and chicken from broiler pan, and place in stockpot. Carefully discard the drippings from broiler pan, leaving browned bits. Place broiler pan on stovetop; add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes, scraping the bottom to loosen the browned bits.

Pour contents of broiler pan into stockpot. Add remaining 12 cups of water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Strain stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Reserve chicken for another use; discard remaining solids. Cover and chill stock for 8 hours. Skim solidified fat from surface of broth, and discard.

Yield: 10 cups (serving size: 1 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 31(32% from fat); FAT 1.1g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 4.7g; CHOLESTEROL 15mg; CALCIUM 4mg; SODIUM 19mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 0.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 0.4g

Jim Peterson
Cooking Light, JANUARY 2003

[Kahlico]

I love to make stock out of either an uncooked chicken or a chicken/turkey carcass; either, IMO, make very tasty stock.

I usually just throw in a couple of onions, a bay leaf, sometimes carrots and/or celery and I'll stud a couple of lemon halves with whole cloves. I don't squeeze the lemons, so there's not a lemon taste to the broth (at least not that I've detected). If you don't want to use lemons, you can stud the onions with whole cloves.

~emilie~

[patsyk]

Wow! Looks like I have some experimenting to do this weekend! I didn't even remember that CL had a brown chicken stock, which would be useful for certain recipes... and then, of course, I will want the traditional white stock for making certain soups.

I appreciate the tips and recipes. I just need to decide which one to do first! Thanks!!

[Tizzylish]

I use leftover chicken carcass mostly, unless they have a sale on legs/thighs/wings at the store than I will make a clear broth. I think I like the brown stock better tho. I usually roast two chickens because my family prefers white meat and I like to use leftovers for stuff like enchiladas, chicken salad, ect.

After dinner where we have had the roasted chickens, I'll take the two carcasses and put them in a huge stock pot, add a couple bay leaves, two onions (cut in half w/ skins left on), 3 stalks of celery (in fourths), 3 carrots(cut into fourths) pour cold water over until the bones are just covered with water, close the lid and stick it in my oven overnight at 250 degrees. In the morning I remove the solids, strain it into a smaller stockpot with cheesecloth and a fine strainer, and reduce until I like the flavor. Usually in half. Then I cool it and use my gravy seperator to pour it into ziplock bags that I portion out into 1 cup servings. I lay those baggies flat on a cookie sheet and place them in my freezer until they are frozen solid. This way they take up less room to store. If I am using this stock for soup, I don't portion or reduce to much and I store it in leftover Chinese wonton soup containers. :o

I never add salt at the beginning, because I usually like to reduce my stock so that it is really flavorful, especially when I store it for recipes that call for 1 cup of stock or so, if you add salt you end up with a salty stock after reducing, you can always season it later. I never add any other flavorings for the same reasoning, this way I can also use the stock interchangibly with any recipe. ;)

[Canice]

Oh, made a big batch on Sunday! Mine is very similar to mrswaz's, but I don't have chicken carcasses around since we rarely eat it, so I buy about three pounds or more of necks and backs and then a scant pound of wings. Toss 'em in the stock pot and 2 large onions, chopped; 4 carrots peeled and chopped; 4 ribs celery (and any leaves I can get) chopped; 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped, 2 bay leaves, about six sprigs fresh thyme; about 8 sprigs Italian parsley, chopped, and half a teaspoon peppercorns. I had dill on hand Sunday so I added that too. I cover it all with cold water, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, skimming the scum off every ten minutes or so for the first half hour or 40 minutes. Then I just let it simmer away for a few hours before straining it. I wash out the pot and then reduce it before cooling and packaging in freezer bags. I also opt not to salt it on account of the reducing and also because I like to control the salt in individual recipes.

Now don't laugh, but if you've never made stock before: Do not accidentally strain it down the sink! I can't tell you how many people have done that out habit, staring in disbelief at their strainer of gooey vegetables and bones, their gorgeous stock rolling down the drain.

[bobmark226]

It really is a labor of love, and the results are soooo worth it.

Some time ago I heard someone say that when you make stock, your kitchen acquires a soul.

I couldn't agree more.

Bob

[vbak]

I like to use raw chicken backs and wings or the leftover carcass. I add onion, chucnked up celery, garlic and bay. I find that the carrots make it too sweet tasting for my taste. And of course, salt pepper. If your cooled broth has a jelly like consistency that is a good thing. I also strain the broth through cheese cloth to get rid of the uggies. :) Oh, when it is time to eat the soup , I add the carrots and parsley , chopped onion ,etc. it is very good good and chickeny.

Canice, I'll have to throw in some necks next time. Thanks for the suggestion.

Vicky

[veschke]

I've been using a recipe from CL - a white stock that I think was in the same issue as that brown stock posted above. I like it, although it adds a bit of work, because you use a whole chicken, then pull the meat off after an hour and put the carcass back in for a while longer. This way I have cooked chicken to use in something else during the week, but the flavor isn't completely exhausted. I've started saving bones, but it's taking a long time to get enough for a stock batch.

[patsyk]

Some time ago I heard someone say that when you make stock, your kitchen acquires a soul.

I couldn't agree more.

Bob


Ooooohhhhh! I LOVE that! Especially, since this is a new home for us, what a nice way to give my kitchen something I don't think it has yet!

[patsyk]

I've been using a recipe from CL - a white stock that I think was in the same issue as that brown stock posted above. I like it, although it adds a bit of work, because you use a whole chicken, then pull the meat off after an hour and put the carcass back in for a while longer. This way I have cooked chicken to use in something else during the week, but the flavor isn't completely exhausted. I've started saving bones, but it's taking a long time to get enough for a stock batch.

Do you remember what issue this was in? I still have my issues going back probably 9 years, so if you remember which one it was I can pull it out and use that as a guide as well.

[sneezles]

Do you remember what issue this was in? I still have my issues going back probably 9 years, so if you remember which one it was I can pull it out and use that as a guide as well.

The stock recipes are from January, 2003 issue.

White Chicken Stock


White stock has a light, clean flavor that provides a nice backdrop for more delicate ingredients. You can use any variety of chicken pieces for this stock.
This recipe goes with Chicken Soup with Garlic, Saffron, and Tomatoes, Curried Chicken Corn Chowder, Wonton Soup, Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
10 parsley sprigs
8 thyme sprigs
3 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch-thick pieces
3 bay leaves
2 medium onions, unpeeled and quartered
2 carrots, cut into 2-inch-thick pieces
2 garlic cloves, crushed
16 cups cold water
6 pounds chicken pieces

Place first 8 ingredients in an 8-quart stockpot; add the water and chicken. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 3 hours. Strain stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Reserve chicken for another use; discard remaining solids. Cover and chill stock for 8 hours. Skim solidified fat from surface of broth, and discard.

Yield: 10 cups (serving size: 1 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 28(26% from fat); FAT 0.8g (sat 0.2g,mono 0.3g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 4.7g; CHOLESTEROL 15mg; CALCIUM 4mg; SODIUM 18mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 0.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 0.4g

Jim Peterson
Cooking Light, JANUARY 2003

[mrswaz]

Some time ago I heard someone say that when you make stock, your kitchen acquires a soul.

I couldn't agree more.

Bob

That is beautiful! Thank you for the much needed smile.

[patsyk]

The stock recipes are from January, 2003 issue.

Thanks, sneezles! I'll be looking for that one tonight!

[alicerh]

I usually kill 2 birds with one stone - ugh, sorry for the lame pun. :) I put a whole chicken in the pot along with necks and backs and veggies. When the chicken is tender I take it out, remove the meat and put the bones back in the pot to cook longer. Almost always I want to make the wonderful Tortilla soup that has been posted here many times.
Alice