Homemade Chicken Stock Is Time-Consuming Process but Worth It

Making chicken stock is not a difficult process, but it does take time. When done correctly, the slow simmering of water, poultry, bones, vegetables and spices produces an excellent base for numerous finished dishes.

A large, heavy-bottomed stockpot is ideal. Other equipment needed includes a large spoon, ladle, strainer and cheesecloth.

Stewing hens produce the most flavorful stock, but any available chicken parts may be used. Place the chicken in the pot and add cold water to cover. (Cold water is more effective than hot for drawing out ingredient flavors.)

Slowly bring the water to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat so the liquid is just simmering. If boiled longer than a minute or two, the resulting stock will not be clear.

As the water simmers, fat and scum will rise to the surface. These should be skimmed off frequently to prevent the stock from becoming cloudy.

Add the vegetables and spices--one or two quartered onions, a stalk of celery and two carrots, cut in large pieces, two bay leaves, a few sprigs of parsley, a dozen black peppercorns--and continue to simmer for two to three hours, occasionally skimming off any fat or foam.

Remove the chicken and strain the stock (Step 1) through a sieve lined with several thicknesses of dampened cheesecloth. Discard the solids--their flavor has been leeched out during cooking.

The best way to remove any remaining fat is to refrigerate the stock until the fat solidifies on the surface and can be scraped off with a spoon (Step 2). If time doesn’t permit this process, skim off as much fat as possible with a spoon, then draw a piece of absorbent paper towel over the surface.

At this stage, the stock is clear enough to be used in most recipes. However, if preparing consomme or aspic, it needs to be clarified.

To begin clarification, be certain that the stock has had fat removed and is at room temperature. Next, measure the stock; use one egg white and one crumpled egg shell for each quart of stock to be clarified.

Whisk egg white or whites in a bowl until frothy then add to the stock (Step 3). Place the mixture in the stockpot and stir in the crumpled egg shell or shells (Step 4).

Without any additional stirring, bring the stock just to simmering over very low heat. As it heats, the egg brings to the surface a crusty foam (Step 5). Gently push this aside to make a small opening for viewing the stock. Make sure it continues to simmer, but doesn’t boil.

Allow the stock to simmer 10 to 15 minutes, then remove it from the heat and allow it to stand at least 10 minutes. Ladle the stock through a strainer lined with several thicknesses of dampened cheesecloth (Step 6). The final product should be sparkling clear.

Any stock that will not be used within two to three days should be packaged in moisture- and vapor-proof containers and frozen.