There ain't a thing wrong with the store bought stuff, but the real, true thing made at home just can't be beat. Stock is made from bones, as opposed to broth that is made from meat. The bones release their gelatin which gives the stock a fuller feeling that coats the inside of your mouth. Ever had chicken noodle soup that was so rich and savory, and just seemed to make your whole mouth feel velvety? It was probably made with homemade stock.
What I love about making stock this way is that it's basically using the leftovers from other meals. It's one of those things that gets me truly excited about cooking. I want to appreciate the animal that gave it's life for me to eat, and the best way to do that is to use every part of the animal you can. Instead of throwing away the bones after eating a piece of chicken, save them in a gallon size freezer bag. I save thigh bones, wing tips, a whole carcass from a rotisserie chicken, etc. each time placing them in the freezer until the bag is full.
The vegetable base for the stock is almost always leftovers too. I mean, who actually uses the entire bunch of celery? There's usually carrots or half an onion in my fridge at any given time. Got some chives or scallions that are going to go bad? Those can go in there too! This is really a recipe without a recipe because it's different for me every time. This particular time I had some lemon and red onion so those went in the pot too.
Add everything to the largest stock pot in the kitchen (mine is about 2 gallons) and bring to a boil. Honestly at first it looks pretty gross; the frozen bones can definitely be off-putting, but it's worth it in the end. Turn down to a simmer and put on the lid. It needs to cook for at least 4 hours.
This is what is looks like when you strain out the bones and vegetables. What could have been trash has been transformed into what I like to call "liquid gold"! Now that they've given all they can, you can finally throw them away, although I like to feed a few of the carrots to my dog. I'm sure she's thinking "ooooo...a chicken flavored snack that is actually good for me!" It's also worth mentioning that at this point the entire house smells divine.
The straining process:
And here is the final result:
I measured every last drop and got 20 cups of this beautiful golden liquid. It saves a ton of money and I know the exact ingredients that went into it! After the fat removal, I freeze it and then thaw it out as needed.
INGREDIENTS
22 cups of water
4 carrots halved
6 celery stalks halved
1 large onion quartered
4 garlic cloves smashed
10 whole peppercorns
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 lemon
1 gallon size Ziploc bag full of chicken bones
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Cut all vegetables to a size where they fit in pot. Place in pot along with salt and peppercorns.
2) Add in all chicken bones and cover with water.
3) Place pot over high heat until it comes to a boil.
4) Reduce heat to a very low simmer, cover and leave it to cook for at least 4 hours.
*It's fine to occasionally check in and stir*
5) Strain out all vegetables and bones and discard.
6) Strain a second time using cheesecloth and pour into tupperware/storage containers.
7) Leave containers out at room temperature to cool completely before refrigerating.
8) After a night in the fridge, scrape off layer of fat that has formed on top.
9) Use within a few days or freeze!
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