Homemade Chicken Stock

Why go to all the trouble of making homemade chicken stock?

Well have you ever made a risotto with powdered chicken stock or even stock cubes? Mine turned out far too salty with a strange colour and generally just yucky. A good stock makes all the difference!

In French cooking stocks are the “fond de cuisine” or the foundation of the kitchen and rightly so.

Save up the chicken carcases from the Sunday roast, bones from deboned chicken, wing tips etc. and freeze it as you go along. When you have about 2 kg ( 4½ to 5 pounds) it is time to make a pot of homemade chicken stock!

For stock you need bones, so ideal bits are wings, backs and necks. Chicken feet (although if you are not used to them they are rather off putting!) make the most wonderful ingredient due to the high gelatine content. Gizzards can also be used, but avoid the lungs and livers as they tend to make the stock cloudy and especially the livers give it a bitter taste.

Preparation Time : 10 min
Cooking Time: 2 ½ hours minimum but ideally up to 6 hours
Yields: 1.5 to 1.75 litres (2½- 3 pints)

Ingredients homemade chicken stock

2kg (4 ½ - 5 pounds) Chicken carcasses, trimmings, gizzards, necks, feet etc.
2.75 litres (5 pints) water
3 strips of lemon rind
3 carrots chopped into 2.5cm (1 inch) chunks
3 onions left whole
3 - 4 celery sticks chopped into 2.5cm (1 inch) chunks
1 leek halved lengthways
Bouquet garni for stock (5 or more parsley stems without leaves, a sprig or 2 of thyme and 2 bay leaves tied together in a piece of muslin with string)
8 peppercorns
1 tablespoon salt (optional)

Method for making Homemade Chicken Stock on the Stove Top

Chop the carcasses and necks into 2.5cm (1 inch) chunks.
If gizzards are used, trim away the tough skin.
Halve any hearts used and slice any meat.
If chicken feet are used, cover with boiling water for 5 min and skin them.
Place chicken into the stock pot.
Add the water, lemon, bouquet garni and peppercorns.
Bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer.
If the stock is left to boil rapidly it will become cloudy.
If you want a more concentrated stock, leave the stock pot uncovered.
During the first part of the cooking process the stock will form scum on the surface. To keep your stock clear you must skim this off. Initially this scum will form about every 10 minutes but as the meat cooks, it becomes less and less.
Simmer the chicken for 1½ hours.
Add the vegetables and simmer for at least 1 more hour.
Do not stir the stock as it will make it cloudy.
Season with the salt or to taste (optional).
Strain and chill for 8 hours, remove any fat that forms on top.
Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze.

Method for making Homemade Chicken Stock in a slow cooker or crock pot

Chop the carcasses and necks into 2.5cm (1 inch) chunks.
If gizzards are used, trim away the tough skin.
Halve any hearts used and slice any meat.
If chicken feet are used, cover with boiling water for 5 min and skin them.
Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker or croqpot.
Cover and turn the slow cooker on. My slow cooker has a high and low setting and I use the high setting when making stock.
I find that very little scum forms when making homemade chicken stock in the slow cooker, but as it starts to boil, check for scum and if any does form skim it off.
Do not stir the stock as it will make it cloudy.
Let is simmer for at least 6 hours.
Season with the salt or to taste (optional).
Strain the stock and check the yield. Ideally the finally quantity of stock should be about half the amount of water that you added to the recipe. If you have more than 1.75 litres (3 pints) the stock might be a bit weak ( and also it takes up a lot of storage space.) Put it in a clean saucepan on the stove top and boil rapidly to reduce it further.
Chill the strained stock for 8 hours and remove any fat that forms on top.
Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze.

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