Recipe for Chicken Stock / Broth
By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: February 15, 2021
Every good home cook needs a good homemade stock or broth at their disposal. I always have chicken stock on hand at any given time. And did you know that ONE whole chicken easily pays for itself if you take into account the stock you can create and savings you’d make in buying store-bought!? It’s true! Learn more.
Having a homemade stock or broth at my disposal is an absolute essential in my kitchen. I call upon stocks constantly for added flavour in dishes from all around the world. A good stock will boost the flavour of many dishes.
Chicken stock is my go-to stock for most recipes calling for stock but I also keep in the freezer beef stock, vegetable stock and sometimes lamb stock. Essentially, whenever I can get my hands on animal bones, I'll create a broth.
Why homemade stock is so the right thing!
It's no surprise that homemade stock is better than store-bought. It's more flavourful and you can make it without ANY salt, some commercial stocks are packed with sodium. You know EXACTLY what's in yours and can adjust your recipe to suit your taste. The other surprising things is that homemade stocks or broths are MUCH MUCH cheaper than commercial varieties. One chicken carcass will make around three litres, which would cost more than the price of that same chicken to buy at the supermarket!
Getting the most from a chicken
The most amazing thing about buying a whole chicken is that you can achieve many meals from one bird. By jointing the bird and retaining the carcass and wing tips, you can enjoy not only the meat in an infinite variety of ways (see below for some suggestions), but you can also eek out all that flavour and goodness from the bones (see below for recipe suggestions).
One carcass will create 3 litres of flavoursome chicken stock.
Stay neutral
For the most versatility of the finished broth, it's important to keep the flavour somewhat neutral. Unless you're using the whole stock for one type of meal i.e. Italian, you should not limit yourself by flavour to any one cuisine. Universally flavoured vegetables like onion, celery, carrot and leek will give the broth a tonne of flavour without dictating any one style of cooking - I suggest minimal use of herbs for this reason too.
This ensures maximum flavour, maximum uses! Just perfect for enjoying International recipes.
Step by Step
Making homemade stock is not difficult. There are a few things to remember, but nothing too taxing.
- Step 1
Roasting the carcass or not. You'll get good flavour and deeper colour from a roasted carcass but it's not essential. If you choose to roast, cook in a 220ºC/440ºF oven for 10 minutes first.
- Step 2
Pre blanching the carcass. This is an optional step, but doing this will ensure a cleaner, clearer broth. Simply bring a pan of water to a rolling boil and add the bones and trimmings. Let them boil for 2-3 minutes. A lot of impurities will rise to the top. Drain everything over a colander and then rinse the chicken pieces.
- Step 3
Put the carcass and any trimmings back into the pan alongside the vegetables you've chosen and add a little over 3 litres of water. I always use onion, carrot, celery, leek and garlic. I'll also add a few peppercorns and parsley stalks and a tiny bit of salt and on occasion a bay leaf. For variations in flavour for International recipes, see my suggestions below.
- Step 4
I slowly Bring the stock to a boil over a low heat so that it's barely simmering, then partially cover the pan and let is bubble very gently for 3-4 hours.
- Step 5
Removinng the fat. There are three options.
Option 1: If you have one, use a fat separator jug - they're one of my favourite kitchen gadgets!
Option 2: Let the stock cool, then place in the fridge overnight - the fat will solidify on top and you can easier scoop it with a spoon.
Option 3: Let the fat settle on top for 30 minutes, and using a paper towel, rest the towel on top. Most of the fat will be absorbed. Do this a couple of times.
- Step 6
Decant into 1 litre containers and freeze until you need. They'll stay fresh in there for 3-4 months. In the fridge I'll keep mine for up to 2 weeks.
Pro Tips to make your life easier
Carcass queen - If jointing a whole bird isn't your thing, visit any good butcher or Asian supermarket - they'll be sure to have ready-to-go carcasses for next to nothing $£!
Bone collector - Whenever I cook chicken thighs or drumsticks that I remove before cooking, I'll pop them, along with the skins and any other trimmings to a bag. When I've commented 2lb of parts, I'll use them to make a stock
Roast bones - If I've roast a whole bird, then stripping the meat from the leftover cooked carcass is also a great way to create broth. Pop all the bits that aren't meat into the pan.
Save the giblets - Those little packets inside the whole bird aren't just for binning. Pop them into the pan for stock too. The more the merrier.
Flavour variations for International Recipes
To enhance your favourite recipes that call for chicken stock try adding some specific ingredients to your stock alongside the standard aromatics. Be sure to label your stock before freezing.
Chinese/Japanese/Korean - I'll add a few pieces of fresh ginger, spring onion, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise and dried tangerine peel
Italian/European - Fresh fennel, fennel seeds, bay leaf, fresh herbs like oregano, thyme and rosemary too.
South East Asian - Galangal, ginger, pandan leaf, lemongrass, star anise and fresh or dried chilli can all be added alongside the standard aromatics.
Ready to get cooking?
I can't sing the praises of home made stock enough - I resent ever having to buy store-bought SO MUCH! I always make sure I have a supply of frozen stock on hand, to use as and when I want to boost the flavour of my dishes. You'll be a convert once you start making your own, trust me!
Any Questions? (FAQ)
Have a question about making stock? Let me know in the comments.
What are the 3 main elements to a good chicken stock
Bones, aromatics and minimal additional flavourings (see above for specific flavour combinations). I stay neutral for the base stock to ensure it's as flexible as possible.
Should I add salt to my stock?
In order to maintain the most flexibility I suggest being very sparse with the salt. If I have salted my stock, there's a danger I'll forget and add extra salt to a dish and ruin it! Best to remain neutral.
Is homemade stock better than store bought?
Absolutely yes. Read on to discover why!
Can I follow this principle with other meats?
Yes, user this recipe if you have other bones like beef, pork or lamb. Seafood and vegetable stocks are a little different so require a different method.
Delicious recipe from around the world using chicken stock
So having stock at hand is so great when you cook a lot and in winter, it's even good to drink on its own! Here are some of my favourite recipes I make all the time.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken carcass (or 1lb of chicken bones)(cut into pieces)
- 2 carrots (medium, cut into large pieces)
- 2 celery stalks (cut into large pieces)
- 1 onion (small, cut in half - skin on or off)
- 2 garlic cloves (peeled and lightly squashed)
- 1 leek (cut into large pieces)
- 2 stalks parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
Instructions
- If you're using a chicken carcass, using poultry sheers of a large cleaver, cut the carcass into a few pieces.Add to a large pan and just cover with water. Bring this to a boil and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes - lots of scum will float to the surface. Drain and discard the water and then wash the chicken. Return to the pan and add all the other stock ingredients. Top up the pan with 3.2 qt / 3 litres of cold water.
- Heat until the water is just showing signs of boiling. Reduce the heat to low and partially cover. Let the stock cook (barely simmering) for 3-4 hours - try not to stir it too much as you may make it cloudy.
Removing the fat. (there are options!)
- Option 1: If you have one, use a gravy separator jug (link in tips below).
- Option 2: Let the stock cool, then place in the fridge overnight - the fat will solidify on top and you can easier scoop it with a spoon.
- Option 3: Let the fat settle on top, and using a paper towel, rest the towel on top. Most of the fat will be absorbed. Do this a couple of times.
- Once you've skimmed off the fat, decant to separate 1 litre/30oz containers and either refrigerate or freeze until you need.
Notes
- China, Japan, Korea - fresh ginger, spring onion, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise and dried tangerine peel
- European - Fresh fennel, fennel seeds, bay leaf, fresh herbs like oregano, thyme and rosemary too
- South East Asia - galangal, ginger, pandan leaf, lemongrass, star anise and fresh or dried chill
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