Home Made Chicken stock ... Got a Good Recipe

[kenny]

I wanna pop my chicken stock makin cherry.
Anyone wanna introduce this virgin to stock-ecstasy?

I got bones, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, herbs, and a crotch pot ......... and I can buy anything else needed.

Sure, I could just google up a recipe, but which of these 462,000,000 recipes do you recommend I try first?

 

[stracci2000]

and a crotch pot

LOLOLOL!!!!
Are you sure your crotch is hot enough?

 

[TooPatient]

A good chicken stock is worth all of the work! Never let it boil. Barely bubbling is best.

Use a whole chicken or bones (with or without skin). Wings/legs work great too. Put a splash of olive oil in a big pot. When hot, add the chicken. Cook until brown, turning to brown as much as possible. Add in cut up onions (skin and all!), A whole head of garlic (cut in half to expose cloves), coarse cut celery (leaves okay too), and course cut carrots. Cook until they are a bit browned and pan is deglazed. (If needed, add a splash of water to prevent burning.)

Add water to cover, fresh ground pepper, and whatever fresh herbs you want to use. (Different herbs for different flavors or skip herbs and add in each recipe as stock is used.)

Cook until as rich as you like. (I like to drain the stock out then run water in the chunky bits and drain it into the stock again to get every bit of goodness out of the ingredients. Reduce stock as needed to compensate.)

 

[kenny]

LOLOLOL!!!!
Are you sure your crotch is hot enough?

I've been told it leaves 3rd degree burns.

 

[cmd2014]

I wanna pop my chicken stock makin cherry.
Anyone wanna introduce this virgin into stock-ecstasy?

I got bones, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, herbs, and a crotch pot ......... and I can buy anything else needed.

Sure, I could just google up a recipe, but which of these 462,000,000 recipes do you recommend I try first?

Ok. Here’s what you do. I’m assuming your bones are roasted (like a carcass from a roasted chicken)? If not, roast them until they are golden. Break the carcass up a bit (makes better gelatin). Toss carcass in crock pot with a chopped onion (skin on for colour), a roughly chopped carrot or two, a few roughly chopped celery stalks, and a pinch of peppercorns if you have them. And a bay leaf and some thyme if you have it. barely cover the bones with cold water (be skimpy - bones will break down and sink in and too much water = watery stock). Cook on low at least 12 hours (I usually go from dinner time to breakfast). Don’t peek. Gently lift out the bones, strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve, ideally lined with some cheesecloth if you have it. Don't worry if you don’t. Taste it. Reduce it if needed. Here’s the secret. At the end add in a bouillon cube or two. Then salt it to taste. Golden heaven. Oh, and if you chill it overnight, you can just lift the fat off the top. It should turn into meat jelly. That’s good. It will liquify when you heat it up again.

 

[telephone89]

I prefer a pressure cooker, but a crock pot will work too.

I roast the bones, something like 400-425 for 20-30 mins (for chicken bones, they are small). Rough chop all the veggies, toss in the bottom of the pot. Top with bones, and a light sprinkling of herbs (DO NOT go too heavy on herbs with this, it cooks for so long, it *can* get too herby). Cover with cold water. set and go

 

[kenny]

A good chicken stock is worth all of the work! Never let it boil. Barely bubbling is best.

Use a whole chicken or bones (with or without skin). Wings/legs work great too. Put a splash of olive oil in a big pot. When hot, add the chicken. Cook until brown, turning to brown as much as possible. Add in cut up onions (skin and all!), A whole head of garlic (cut in half to expose cloves), coarse cut celery (leaves okay too), and course cut carrots. Cook until they are a bit browned and pan is deglazed. (If needed, add a splash of water to prevent burning.)

Add water to cover, fresh ground pepper, and whatever fresh herbs you want to use. (Different herbs for different flavors or skip herbs and add in each recipe as stock is used.)

Cook until as rich as you like. (I like to drain the stock out then run water in the chunky bits and drain it into the stock again to get every bit of goodness out of the ingredients. Reduce stock as needed to compensate.)

Thanks so much.
SO is pulling into the driveway with a new crotch pot as we post.
I just discovered my pre-historic crotch pot has a crack in it.
(Oh wait, don't all crotches have an adjacent crack?)

 

[kenny]

OH NO! The new one had a cracked porcelain crotch too.
GRRRRR!

SO is now returning to the store to exchange it for a good one.
Poor baby.

SOs can be so useful ... well, at times.
Other times they're a pain in the @ss.

 

[kenny]

20% of the chicken is bones from Costco rotisserie chicken from my freezer.
The other 80% is raw bones/skin/fat from a huge package of fresh thighs I just bought.

Should I first roast the raw bones in the oven.
If so, should I also roast the raw skin and fat?

Oh my, I'm so embarrassed by my stock virginity.
Please be gentle with me.
It's my first time.

 

[kenny]

I prefer a pressure cooker, but a crock pot will work too.

I roast the bones, something like 400-425 for 20-30 mins (for chicken bones, they are small). Rough chop all the veggies, toss in the bottom of the pot. Top with bones, and a light sprinkling of herbs (DO NOT go too heavy on herbs with this, it cooks for so long, it *can* get too herby). Cover with cold water. set and go

I do like the idea of pressure cookers.
Less cooking time means less energy, which is more green.
Mom had one.

We have a tiny kitchen.
Even 20 years ago buying a home in a Southern California beach city was very expensive so I could only afford a very small modest one.
I don't have room for more kitchen gadgets, so I'm afraid crotch pot it is.

Today here it reached the upper 90s so, since we don't have AC, this stock will simmer in the crotch pot in the detached garage.

 

[MRBXXXFVVS1]

You can get an Instant Pot and replace your crotch pot, as it can also be a slow cooker...

 

[kenny]

You can get an Instant Pot and replace your crotch pot, as it can also be a slow cooker...

Thanks, but too late.
The new crotch pot has arrived.

No room, or desire, for new gadgets.
I'm more of an old-school guy (read, grumpy old fart) than one who embraces the latest gizmos.

One hand-forged Japanese high-carbon knife and am end-grain solid mahogany cutting board replaces a zillion new gizmos.

 

[telephone89]

I do like the idea of pressure cookers.
Less cooking time means less energy, which is more green.
Mom had one.

We have a tiny kitchen.
Even 20 years ago buying a home in a Southern California beach city was very expensive so I could only afford a very small modest one.
I don't have room for more kitchen gadgets, so I'm afraid crotch pot it is.

Today here it reached the upper 90s so, since we don't have AC, this stock will simmer in the crotch pot in the detached garage.

A detached garage is just as valuable I just like the pressure cooker because it does it so quick - less than an hour and you have fresh amazing broth! But I think you'll be really happy with some fresh broth. I always do this for my turkey bones after easter/thanksgiving, and then with all the leftover meat I make a type of "turkey and dumplings" with the meat and broth. Just delightful.

 

[kenny]

I gots my bones/fat in a cast iron Dutch oven in my oven now.
Smells heavenly.

Soon I'll chop my veges, move it to my crotch pot, and transfer it all to the garage.

Maybe I will look into a pressure cooker.
I really like the idea of using less energy.
Unfortunately all our thrift stores are closed.

 

[dk168]

I just put bones from roast chicken in a pot and boil then simmer them in water for ages.
I would then drain and remove the bones, and further reduce the volume before I pour the liquid into icecube trays or small tubs and freeze.

DK

 

[kenny]

I just put bones from roast chicken in a pot and boil then simmer them in water for ages.
I would then drain and remove the bones, and further reduce the volume before I pour the liquid into icecube trays or small tubs and freeze.

DK

oooh, I like that idea.
Ice cubes of stock!!!
NOM NOM NOM!!!

Then just quickly grab as many, or few, for whatever you're making.

I'm gonna do that.
Thanks.

 

[kenny]

So ... I think I'm finished with the cast iron stovetop roasting or "sweating" of bones et al..

Time to move it to my screaming hot crotch pot, add H2O/herbs/spices and begin our final 48 hour cooking down to ecstasy in our garage.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I gots my bones/fat in a cast iron Dutch oven in my oven now.
Smells heavenly.

Soon I'll chop my veges, move it to my crotch pot, and transfer it all to the garage.

Maybe I will look into a pressure cooker.
I really like the idea of using less energy.
Unfortunately all our thrift stores are closed.

a thrift or a charity shop is a good idea for a pressure cooker but for safety you must get a new seal if your buying used .....just remember what happened to the space shuttle challenger

 

[dk168]

oooh, I like that idea.
Ice cubes of stock!!!
NOM NOM NOM!!!

Then just quickly grab as many, or few, for whatever you're making.

I'm gonna do that.
Thanks.

I would advise popping them out and store in an air tight container in the freezer, otherwise they could dry out.

DK

 

[kenny]

I would advise popping them out and store in an air tight container in the freezer, otherwise they could dry out.

DK

Thanks.
Yes, actually I have one of those FoodSaver vacuum sealing bag machines.
Works great.
Frozen food lasts very long with no change when no air can reach it.

 

[dk168]

Thanks.
Yes, actually I have one of those FoodSaver vacuum sealing bag machines.
Works great.
Frozen food lasts very long with no change when no air can reach it.

I have one too, great for packing down bulk packs of meat into single portions before freezing.

DK

 

[cmd2014]

I have both a pressure cooker (electric) and a crock pot. The pressure cooker is faster, but I have to admit that I find the flavour better in the crock pot. I think there is more browning happening at the surface of the stock in the crock pot. I only do beef stock in the pressure cooker though. It's too much time otherwise to bother with.

In any case, 12 hours is plenty. You're not going to get much better flavour after that. If it's weaker than you'd like, then you need to strain, skim off the fat, and reduce. Sometimes I will reduce mine down to a demi glace (so 1/4 the volume that it started with) and freeze it in ice cube trays (before popping out and food saver bagging it for long term storage) for adding flavor to pan sauces and the like. It takes forever because you can't boil - just simmer, but it's delicious.

 

[JPie]

a thrift or a charity shop is a good idea for a pressure cooker but for safety you must get a new seal if your buying used .....just remember what happened to the space shuttle challenger

OMG you made me laugh so hard! I have an irrational fear of pressure cookers exploding.

 

[canuk-gal]

OMG you made me laugh so hard! I have an irrational fear of pressure cookers exploding.

LOL. I had an OLD PC and yes, Morton Thiakol comes to mind.....

There are new models. And other ways of preparing stock. Actually it was the noise (from the PC) that bothered me the most....

 

[telephone89]

I have both a pressure cooker (electric) and a crock pot. The pressure cooker is faster, but I have to admit that I find the flavour better in the crock pot. I think there is more browning happening at the surface of the stock in the crock pot. I only do beef stock in the pressure cooker though. It's too much time otherwise to bother with.

Ah interesting. I find the pressure cooker gets the gelatin/collagen out better for more of a bone broth. But I don't hate smelling the slow cooker broth all day....mmmmm....

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

@kenny how's your stock?

 

[cmd2014]

Ah interesting. I find the pressure cooker gets the gelatin/collagen out better for more of a bone broth. But I don't hate smelling the slow cooker broth all day....mmmmm....

It's a bit of a trade off. The PC gets more collagen out (to the extent that the bones will crumble), but the crock pot gives more of a dark rich broth flavour. For anything where I want a bit of extra flavour I tend to prefer the crock pot stuff. But the PC is super convenient so it also depends on how much time I have.

 

[kenny]

@kenny how's your stock?

I'll get you a pic.

 

[kenny]

@kenny how's your stock?

Finally got a pic.
This is after straining out the solids and refrigerating stock, but before removing fat.
It came out very dark; looks like a strong Ale with a head on top.
It simmered in the crotch pot almost 2 days.

I haven't tasted it yet , but it smelled heavenly.

 

[kenny]

Ugh! I just noticed sediment the strainer didn't catch.

To discard sediment should I use this, or is there a better way?