Tip of the Day: Chicken Stock

I guess it is time again for my next tip and culinary tid bit!

I thought today I would put up a simple chicken stock. I already told you how a good beef stock is great but a good chicken stock and a good beef stock is Fantabulous.

Tip of the Day: Chicken Stock

Have you ever roasted a chicken, cut it apart and then thrown out the bones?  Well, don’t!  Use them in your chicken stock just the same as you would non-cooked bones…just don’t rinse them.

Vocabulary Words
Degreasing – When a stock is refrigerated, fat rises to its surface, hardens and is easily lifted or scraped away before the stock is reheated or stored.

Deglazing – to swirl or stir a liquid (usually wine or stock) in a sauté pan or other pan to dissolve cooked food particles remaining on the bottom; the resulting mixture often becomes the base for a sauce.

Remouillage (rhur-moo-yahj) – French for “rewetting”; a stock produced by reusing the bones left from making another stock. It will not be as clear or as flavorful as the original stock; however. It is often used to make glazes or in place of water when making stocks.

China Cap – a cone shaped strainer made of perforated metal.

Recipe

Ingredients:
1 chicken carcass
cold water
Mirepoix (see Beef Stock post)
· 8 ounces onions, coarsely chopped
· 4 ounces carrots, coarsely chopped
· 4 ounces celery, coarsely chopped
Bouquet garni (see Beef Stock  post)
· 3 or 4 parsley stems
· 3 twigs of thyme leaves
· 2 bay leaves
· 6 black peppercorns

Rinse the bones and place the carcass in a 4 L. pot. Fill with COLD water to cover the bones, add the vegetables and herbs.

Set over high heat and bring to a boil and then reduce quickly to less than a simmer.  (meaning barely a bubble will surface)  Skimming off any scum and grease that comes to the top.

Keep mixture at a constant low simmer and continue to skim the stock until it is clear of any scum and large amounts of grease.  Cook for 3-4 hours adding water as needed to keep the same volume.  Then remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer and cool the stock in an ice-water bath.

Store in refrigerator overnight.  As it cools, the fat will rise to the top and solidify.  Carefully remove this from the top and your stock is ready to use.

* If your carcass is already roasted, just place in pot and cover with water and mire poix and continue with the directions above.

If there is every anything you don’t understand about what I have typed up, just ask.

Good luck and please try these recipes.  I am making a chicken stock right now.  I used some leftover bones from a couple roasted chickens I made the other day.  It smells amazing in our home.  You have to try these for yourself.  They are easy easy easy!!!!

Enjoy cooking!