How-to Make and Store Homemade Chicken Stock

Homemade Chicken Stock

Chicken stock is a valuable ingredient for cooks. It can add flavor, richness, and depth to many dishes. In my years of cooking in both restaurants and my own kitchen I've found that while there are a few good quality stocks available in grocery stores, nothing tastes quite like homemade chicken stock. It's the best way for you to control the fat and salt while at the same time developing a darker, richer flavor than store-bought stocks. Here are a few tips on how to make and store chicken stock.

Obviously you must start with a chicken. You could start by simply boiling the whole roaster in water, but the best way to get some use out of the meat is to roast it first. Roasting also adds more flavor to the stock in the end. Make a pasty mix of minced garlic, chopped dried herbs such as oregano, thyme, marjoram, and basil, lemon and orange zest, a tablespoon of citrus juice, salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of EV olive oil. Rub this under the skin of the chicken and stuff the cavity with cut up lemon and orange, and a quartered onion. Roast at 425 until the temperature reaches 180. After it has cooled and rested cut away the meat and use as a main dish, in soup or a casserole, over a salad, or however else you wish.

Place the carcass and all the seasonings into a stock pot and fill to the top with water. Add 4-5 Turkish bay leaves, 6-7 cloves of smashed garlic, a quartered lemon and orange, some fresh herbs if you have them, a handful of Italian parsley, and a very small amount of salt and pepper. You can always add more salt later, but if your stock is too salty it will make all of your dishes salty. It's better to simply add more salt when cooking. Bring to a boil then reduce until the water is simmering well. You want to let this cook down until it's reduced by almost half. You will have a stock that is a thick, rich golden brown.

Let it cool completely before straining. If you cool it in the refrigerator the fat will harden at the top and you can lift it right off. Strain into a large pitcher or something that pours well. Use medium sized freezer bags that ziplock for storing. You can store the stock in sealed glass jars if you are familiar with safe canning techniques, but the freezer option is the fastest and easiest. Simply place the bags into a bowl and turn the edges down around the top. Pour the stock in the bag until it's about two-thirds full. Then seal it with the ziplock and lay it down flat in your freezer. Repeat this until your stock is all stored. After the stock freezes you can store them upright like books, or flat.

If you know you're going to be using stock for dinner that night, just take one out and leave it in your sink or on a tray in the morning. By the time you return it will be thawed out and ready to use. It's also easy to defrost in the microwave. Use your stock to make soups, flavor rice and/or pasta, to create mouth watering casseroles and other creations. Once you realize how easy, delicious and convenient it is you'll find yourself buying chicken just to make your own delicious stock to have on hand.