Happy Friday, HowDoesShe Gals!!
This really IS a happy Friday! We are ALL in for a major treat. Our guest this week is a FABULOUS gal who can cook up miracles in the kitchen without breaking the bank. Her name is Lauren and she is here to show us how to make our own chicken stock with a few simple ingredients to save us some TIME and MONEY but be even bigger on FLAVOR! I make my own chicken stock, and I can tell you that I was doing it wrong. At least…Lauren has shown me how to make it MUCH better. Take it away, Lauren!
Hello everyone! I’m Lauren from the food blog Lauren’s Latest. The recipes I develop are creative, fresh and original, made from common everyday ingredients and leftovers. I’m a young Mom and wife and as such, are on a budget! We can’t always afford to eat out or buy filet mignon every week, but it doesn’t seem to matter when you make delicious food at home. I still splurge here and there, but for the most part, I stick with what I have and use it all so there is no waste.
Today, I get to show you guys a recipe/method that sums up my whole philosophy. Today, we are going to be talking about how to make homemade Chicken Stock. I know it’s not very glamorous, but chicken stock (or broth) is one of the most common ingredients used in our kitchens. If you use it as much as I do, then learning to make your own is a good money saver (especially if you are buying the organic, preservative free stock-in-a-box kind). Making your own chicken stock is not only money saving, but it also tastes better than the store bought kind, has more flavor, is lower in fat, has no additives or preservatives and you can make it organic {if you like}!
It’s really quite simple to do and uses a leftover chicken carcass. Sounds gross, but that’s the left over boney skeleton remains after you eat all the meat off of a whole chicken. Most people just toss the bones, but I save mine for stock. Here’s what you do:
Gather your ingredients:
Ingredients:
1 chicken carcass
2 whole carrots
3 stalks celery
1 whole onion
1 bunch parsley stems
2 1/2 quarts water {10 cups}
3 bay leaves
pinch of sea salt {I use Himalayan Sea Salt}
1 tablespoon whole pepper corns
Directions:
Prepare chicken carcass for boiling by removing all meat, fat and skin from bones. The more skin and fat you remove the healthier the stock will be. Place prepared bones into large pot.
Chop carrots, celery and onion into large chunks and place into pot along with the parsley stems, bay leaves, salt and pepper corns.
Pour 2 1/2 quarts {10 cups} of water over the ingredients to cover completely. You may need to add more to ensure all the ingredients are immersed in water.
Cover pot with tight fitting lid and bring to a boil. Once water boils, reduce heat to simmer and cook 1-2 hours {or longer if you like} keeping the lid on. The longer you boil it, the better the flavor.
Place cheesecloth into a fine mesh strainer over a large pot or bowl. When your stock is done, pour it through the prepared strainer.
Voila! Chicken stock!
At this point, you can store this in smaller containers in the fridge or freezer. It will last about 1 week if stored in the fridge and 3 months if stored in the freezer.
I know some who freeze their chicken stock in ice cube trays. I use plastic quart containers and stick mine in the freezer.
So, that my friends is chicken stock! Easy, isn’t it?! And you’ll be amazed at how good your soups, stews and pasta dishes will taste with homemade stock! Next time you have some chicken for dinner, don’t be afraid to keep the leftovers and make some broth! It’s pretty tasty stuff!
Miscellaneous Recipe Notes
-I add very little salt to my broth because I know that I’ll be using the same batch of broth for many different recipes that will be seasoned differently. Add salt to your discretion.
-If you like different herbs and spices, don’t be afraid to experiment! This is a very basic recipe. Feel free to add a little rosemary, thyme, garlic, etc. to this to find a flavor profile you and your family will like!
-To get an even richer broth, roast your bones in the oven for 30 minutes or so at 350 degrees. This ‘darkens the bones’ allowing you to get a stronger, fuller flavored broth. {A trick I learned from a chef!}
Lauren
Chicken Stock That Rocks!
Ingredients
- 1 chicken carcass
- 2 whole carrots
- 3 stalks celery
- 1 whole onion
- 1 bunch parsley stems
- 2 1/2 quarts water {10 cups}
- 3 bay leaves
- pinch of sea salt {I use Himalayan Sea Salt}
- 1 tablespoon whole pepper corns
Instructions
- Prepare chicken carcass for boiling by removing all meat, fat and skin from bones. The more skin and fat you remove the healthier the stock will be. Place prepared bones into large pot.
- Chop carrots, celery and onion into large chunks and place into pot along with the parsley stems, bay leaves, salt and pepper corns.
- Pour 2 1/2 quarts {10 cups} of water over the ingredients to cover completely. You may need to add more to ensure all the ingredients are immersed in water.
- Cover pot with tight fitting lid and bring to a boil. Once water boils, reduce heat to simmer and cook 1-2 hours {or longer if you like} keeping the lid on. The longer you boil it, the better the flavor.
- Place cheesecloth into a fine mesh strainer over a large pot or bowl. When your stock is done, pour it through the prepared strainer.
- At this point, you can store this in smaller containers in the fridge or freezer. It will last about 1 week if stored in the fridge and 3 months if stored in the freezer.
- I know some who freeze their chicken stock in ice cube trays. I use plastic quart containers and stick mine in the freezer.
So? Do you love Lauren as much as we do? I know you’ll want to read even more from this fabulous food blogger, recipe developer and owner of laurenslatest.com. Her blog is updated 3 times per week with recipes that quickly become family favorites such as these:
(Crazy yummy looking)Apple Fritter Cakes with Warm Caramel Sauce
(oh, mercy)Pumpkin Maple Rolls
(My tummy is rumbling as we speak)
Thanks, again, Lauren and I hope you’ll come back for another visit soon. But, until that time – we’ll be visiting YOUR website regularly, am I right, ladies? Have a great weekend filled with fun, family, and food!
Missy says
That chicken stock is genius! That will make soup so YUMMY! and I am dying to try that pork taco! Thanks for sharing!
Nesleirbag says
Lauren’s website is awesome! Can’t wait to try her cookin’! Homemade chicken stock is easy and does save you money.
Jenn says
Homemade is WAY better when it comes to stock.
That sesame slaw looks DELISH! I’ll check it out!
pennymck says
Thanks for the tutorial. It looks a little less daunting when I can see it done!
Kimie Ranken says
This was a great tutorial! Just one note, though: it is best to ensure that you start with COLD water and bring it to a boil from cold. It does make a difference in the extraction of the “good stuff!” Going to her site, now, to check out the rest of her goodies…thanks for a great post!
Alison says
That looks SO good! I love chicken stock that is MSG free. Thank you for this post. The tacos…I am going to try them! Beautiful pictures.
Jessica says
This sounds so good! I just got some Himalayan pink salt and organic peppercorns from Sustainable Sourcing https://secure.sustainablesourcing.com and I think I’ll try them out in these recipes. Thanks for sharing!