Chicken Stock question....

cln714

Have you ever made your own chicken stock. If so, I need some advice. Growing up, my Mom never made her own, so I have no idea what to do or if I'm doing it right. I've made it a few times and it always seems to lack flavor. I found a recipe that calls for chicken base... isn't that cheating?? How do I make it more flavorful without cheating? Really, I would love if an experienced chicken stock maker would describe, in detail, their process..

McKayMachina

If no one comes to your aid, youtube is pretty amazing for recipes like this. Check if Chef Jon has one over at foodwishes.com, too. Good luck!

NoAdditives

I would search for a recipe on marthastewart.com or foodnetwork.com.

Fayve

You get most of your flavor by using the right kinds of bones, and in some cases, browning them. Making sure that you simmer your stock for a long time and skimming off the fat always will result in the best product too. As far as using chicken stock, I wouldn't say it's cheating. We would use it sometimes at culinary school, because cooking doesn't always end up exactly how you want it to. Are you planning on using any seasonings or spices? Things like thyme, garlic, and peppercorns work best (oh, and bay leaf of course if you have it). Whenever I make my own at home though, I find I need to put a decent amount of salt in it to make it to my tastes, but I know that sort-of defeats the purpose sometimes. Make sure to use lots of carrots, onions, and celery for your mirepoix as well, for extra flavor!

Good luck!!

Edit: I will say though... it's a lot of work. Even knowing how the whole process goes down, I prefer to find low-sodium stock. UNLESS I'm making a chicken soup or something from scratch, then of course it's part of the novelty

RNewton4269

Ina Garten on Food Network makes all kinds of stock. I am sure you could find one of her recipes on their website and tweak it. I have seen her make beef, chicken and seafood stock before on her "Barefoot Contessa" show.

rbryntes

I put some combination of chicken (skin on), onions (skin on, just cut into quarters), a head or two of garlic (skin on), a bunch of carrots and or carrot peels and tops saved from earlier, a bunch of celery, bay leaves, parsley, a whole lot of salt, a couple of apples cut into quarters...

Toss everything into water, maybe add some white wine, cook, add more water, keep cooking, until it is flavorful.

I also save my peels and end for a week or two before I make it.

melbaby925

I would follow one of the recipes on putting your base together - carrots, onions, celery - and then make sure your spice bundle includes lots of bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, some sage if you like that - and I always put some chili powder in the mix too. Gives a nice heat without overpowering. I reserve the salt until I'm using my stock in soup - which is after simmering, and removal of all fat.

It's all about the spice for me! Good luck - making stock is a pain when you're learning, but once you get it down - it's fun to play with.

strmridr1959

Chicken stock is pretty easy to make, if you use a pressure cooker. I have a six quart pressure cooker, and what I do is get a stewing hen (they're slightly older chickens and they're cheaper by the pound, you actually want this because they have more flavor). Take the hen out of the wrapper, place it in your pressure cooker and cover it with water. Don't fill the pressure cooker to the top, that can be dangerous. You also don't want the pressure cooker to run dry. Basically after that, you lock the lid on and then cook it for about 1.5 hours after the pressure cooker lock clicks in place (your model may vary on how it locks down). Watch your heat carefully, if you're using a "rocker" type pressure cooker you only want the steam vent valve (the "rocker") to be rocking slowly. Once it hits that point, turn the heat down just enough to maintain that and start timing your cook. One and a half hours later, you can remove it from heat and then cool it by putting the pressure cooker in a steel sink (do not do this with fiberglass or plastic sinks, it will burn through) and turn cold water on the top until it unlocks. After opening the lid, you'll have to let it cool a bit (the chicken will still be hot) but while it's still warm you'll want to remove the chicken -it will be falling apart. Save the meat, toss bones and skin, and the liquid inside is your stock. Filter it through a coffee filter into a jar and seal it, place it in the fridge. It should last about two weeks (because there are no preservatives).

After the stock is cooled in the fridge overnight, you can remove the jar and skim off the top layer of fat, that will reduce your overall fat content of the stock considerably. And the meat you saved? Low fat, high protein, and great for sandwiches or chicken and dumplings, or put some back with the stock and heat it up, put in some fresh ground black pepper (fresh ground please) and you'll have some amazing chicken soup!

Hope that helps!

D

Kelly_Wilson1990

Boil my 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken with 4 cloves garlic, 1 large onion, 2 stalks of celery, 2 carrots, 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large pot of water (10-12 cups of water). When the chicken is cooked, I strain out the chicken and veggies over a large bowl or pot. I take the chicken out and rinse it and throw the veggies away. I cut the veggies into large pieces. Then you can use the broth or cool it and freeze it for later. Use the chicken for soups or chicken salad.