Chicken Stock
Chicken Stock
Makes 3 to 4 quarts
Chicken stock is a bit different each time I make it. Whenever I’m cooking, I take scraps (onion skins, garlic skins, carrot ends and peels, etc.) and throw them into a bag in my freezer. Sometimes this is enough, and I’ll use it to make a vegetable stock. But oftentimes, I’ll wait for a chicken carcass (it can be a rotisserie—I’m not snotty about this) or perhaps you have bones from roasting a chicken whole, or even just buy a whole chicken that you’ll shred and eat and want to also make a stock.
I put it all in a large stock pot. I use a dutch oven. I fill it to cover all the elements with filtered water and then I bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for at least an hour—ideally 2 to 3—adding more water as needed, until it’s darker in color and smells amazing. Let it cool completely with all the elements still in the stock, then strain and store. The stock will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and in the freezer for up to 6 months. I don’t season my stock until I’m ready to use it, since I don’t know what I’ll be making—and other ingredients in the final dish might already lean salty.
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