Basic Chicken Stock

Use chicken carcasses supplemented by chicken wings, which help to give body to the stock as well as add flavour. You can also freeze the bones (raw or cooked) of chicken and then when you have enough, make a stock. Don’t feel you have to be too slavish to the recipe; if you have some discarded mushroom stalks, add those, when tomato is in season, put some in (but you could add a tablespoon of tomato paste to the stock instead when it isn’t).

Prep:
10 mins
Cook:
4 hours
Serves:
2.5 Litres

Ingredients

1kg chicken frames

500g chicken wings

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 carrots, sliced

1 stick celery, sliced

3-4 cloves garlic, smashed

1 slice fresh turmeric (optional)

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of thyme

a few sprigs of parsley (or just the stalks)

a few black peppercorns

Method

To make a brown chicken stock, simply roast the bones and the vegetables first before making the basic recipe

Put the chicken frames and wings in a stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring up to a simmer, and skim off the frothy impurities that rise to the top

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer very gently for 4 hours. Strain the stock through cheesecloth or muslin, and cool. Chill overnight and remove the hardened fat if you wish

Keep in the fridge for 3 days or up to 6 months in the freezer

Cook’s noteIf you wish to clarify the stock, mix 2 whisked egg whites with ½ cup finely chopped vegetables. Put into a stockpot with the cold stock and bring up to a simmer. Cook for an hour without stirring. Remove from the heat, then remove the ‘raft’ of vegetables and strain through cheesecloth or muslin