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Getting started …
Ready to jump into stock-making? Check out our illustrated guide to making a basic chicken stock.

ingredients |
1.5 lbs. chicken (whole bird, bones, or whatever cheap cut you can find. cheap parts are usually fattier, which in this case is good, as it’ll have more flavor)
1 large onion
2 carrots
1-2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
12 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp. thyme
10 cups cold water

1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. If you’re using a whole chicken, chop it up into smaller pieces (the smaller the pieces, the greater the surface area that will come in contact with the water … hence, more flavor in your final stock). Since I’m lazy, I tend to use chicken parts – wings are good as they’re cheap, and the pieces are already pretty small.

2. Prepare the vegetables: Wash all the veggies well. Scrub potatoes thoroughly. Don’t bother peeling either your onions, garlic, or carrots – the peels and trimmings add good flavor and a nice golden color. I chop my celery (including leaves) and carrots into1" sections; the onion I cut into eighths. There’s no need to chop the garlic; just give it a good smash. Set the veggies aside.

3. Add the chicken to a large stockpot. Pour in 10-12 cups of COLD water, more than enough to cover the chicken.

4. Place the stockpot on your stove, and heat on high. As it comes to a boil, a frothy scum will bubble to the top – you’ll want to skim off as much of that gunk as you can, and discard.

5. As soon as the stock is boiling, and the scum has mostly been removed, add the veggies and herbs. Lower the heat to medium-low; you’ll want the liquid to be sending up just a few bubbles at a time.

6. Simmer for an hour to an hour and a half, until the meat is literally falling off the bones. 

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