Fall always makes me crave a steamy bowl of soup. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of the canned stuff. So to make sure I have soup whenever the craving arises, I make my own chicken stock and keep it in the freezer. It's very easy to make and cheaper than buying the boxed stuff. (This is not to say that I don't use boxed stock in my recipes. I simply believe that for soup, you should use homemade stock.)
Normally, I make chicken stock whenever I roast a chicken. I just use the leftover bones. Using already roasted, seasoned bones add an extra layer of flavor to the stock. However, you can also use uncooked chicken bones if you so choose.
Note: I don't really measure when I make stock but I did my best to give you measurements.
Ingredients: The bones from a 5 lb chicken 4 quarts of water 2 bay leaves 3 celery stalks 4 cloves of garlic 3 whole carrots or a handful of baby carrots 1 onion,cut in half 1 bunch of parsley 1/2 bunch of thyme 1 tbsp of whole black peppercorns Salt (to taste)
Place the bones in a stock pot and add about 4 quarts of water. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot. Let the mixture simmer on medium, uncovered for about 3 hours. Skim the foam that forms on top of the stock. Doing this will result in a clearer stock. (Note: be careful not too cook much longer than 3 hours because it can make the stock bitter.
After 3 hours, turn off the heat and allow to cool a bit. Remove the bones and pour the stock through a strainer to remove the vegetables. I place the stock in a container and stick it in the fridge to cool overnight. The next day, I divide the stock in freezer bags to freeze. When I am ready to use the stock, I defrost it in the fridge (or if I am in a hurry, I let it thaw on my counter for a few hours.)
Now you have the perfect base for all of those yummy soups. This recipe is also perfect for those leftover Thanksgiving turkey bones! Happy Eating!
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