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Stock tricks how to make a chicken or veggie 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
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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. 7. Strain the stock through a wire mesh strainer into a pot/large bowl, preferably metal (it'll allow the stock to cool faster). Once you've poured out most of the liquid, press gently on the veggies and chicken, using the back of a spoon, to squeeze out as much of the juices from the cooked ingredients as possible. Toss out the cooked chicken and veggies. Yup, that's right, all that stuff goes in the garbage -- all the good flavorings are now in the stock.8. Place the bowl of strained stock in an ice water bath. (Using the sink works well). Once the stock is completely cooled, cover and refrigerate overnight. 9.
The next day, skim off the hardened fat using a spoon. Strain the liquid
over ice cubes to remove the remaining fat. Refrigerate for 3-4 days, or
freeze immediately. |
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To make veggie stock ...
Simply omit the chicken, of course, and increase the amount of veggie.
Use two large onions, 3-4 carrots, 3-4 stalks of celery and peelings
from 4 potatoes. You could substitute some of the onion with leeks
instead, or another onion-y vegetable, such as shallot or scallion.
Mushrooms, either fresh or, for a stronger flavor, dried, would also
make a very tasty addition. To make a light stock, simply dump all your
ingredients in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, then simmer for
30-40 minutes.
For a richer, darker stock, roast your veggies first. Place the chopped veggies in a bowl and toss with 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Spread them out on a big roasting pan and roast at 475F until well-browned (30-45 minutes or so). If you’re feeling industrious, you can de-glaze the pan by placing it across two burners set to medium, adding a cup or two of water, then scraping off the browned bits stuck to the pan to get more of that yummy flavor.