there are so many ways to make a chicken stock or soup, some methods require you to roast the bones or carcass before making stock (my preferred method).
but let’s get started with the basics….
anyway, i’m a bit sick at the moment and want a good chicken stock to make me feel better and to whack some leftovers in the freezer for later, but i want the meat to make chicken and mushroom pies, so here’s an easy method.
get a whole chook and remove the fat by hand.
i opt for free range chickens for ethical reasons and also because free range chooks tend to have a lot less fat on them and a lot more muscle, because they actually get to move around. it helps even out the extra costs, as when you pay for the animal by weight, you are also paying for the fat that a cage bird carries – work it out…
put de-fatted bird in a good sized stock pot, fill with water to cover chook with 1 to 2 inches of water (see the ring in the pot in py photo? that was my original water level before i put pot on the stove).
lob in some whole peppercorns, carrots, leeks or onions (don’t bother peeling them) and a few sticks of celery.
cover pot, bring to the boil, remove lid, bring heat down to a minimum.
let it do its thing for a few hours, remove chook and let it cool.
if you want a more intense stock flavour, reduce your stock for a bit longer.
when the chook cools, you can pick the flesh off the bones and keep aside for soup, pies, lunch sandwiches or whatever. try not to overcook the chook – especially if you want to re-cook it later.
take your stock off heat, while still hot, strain it (you get lots of veg leftovers, peppercorns and whatever else you threw in out of the way).
allow clear stock to cool to room temperature, transfer into smaller containers and refrigerate.
once cold, all the fat should rise to the top and solidify (if it’s free range/and or you have removed fat from bird before boiling, there won’t be much).
use a spoon to scoop this fat up and throw it out.
presto!
you have a fuck-off chicken stock to use for whatever. you can throw in the veg, meat and stock that got you to this step, along with some pasta for carbs to make an awesome meal.
if you’ve never done it before, it might sound hard, but really, it’s so easy, most of the cooking can be done while you are at your job or asleep.
ps: it also warms your house and is very healthy food – even if you have a tight budget. glogab financial crisis food! get back to basics.
Edited: May 10th, 2010
