CHICKEN STOCK
Homemade chicken stock is a versatile liquid base made by simmering chicken bones, meat, and various aromatics in water for an extended period. This process extracts flavours, nutrients, and gelatin from the ingredients, resulting in a rich and savoury broth that is commonly used in soups, stews, sauces, and other culinary applications.
To make chicken stock, you typically start with roasted or raw chicken bones, often accompanied by leftover meat. Common aromatics include onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and herbs such as thyme and bay leaves. The ingredients are combined in a large pot, covered with cold water, and simmered gently for several hours—usually anywhere from 4 to 12 hours—allowing the flavours to meld and develop.
For my chicken stock recipe page I have two options. Option one is an all purpose stock recipe that really amps in the flavour, wheres my second stock recipe is just a cheaper and more accessible version that has a clean result. Both version do poach a whole chicken opposed to just the bones, so you get perfectly poached chicken to use for the week. I generally will do this on a Monday and pop poached chicken shredded into me meal prep, therefore getting more out of my whole chicken.
CHICKEN STOCK
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CHICKEN STOCK 〰️
ALL PURPOSE CHICKEN STOCK
2kg whole chicken
1 long celery (save celery leaves if it comes with some)
1 carrot
1 brown onion
1 bulb garlic
1 tbl sp black peppercorns
1 tbl sp coriander seeds
1 bunch thyme
4 fresh bay leaves
1 bunch parsley stalks
1 leftover parmesan cheese rind
Salt
Start by prepping a herb bouquet by tying together thyme, bay leaves and parsley stalks with kitchen tie.
In large pot add in all your ingredients and gently cover with water all the way to just off the top, before placing a lid on. Pop onto high heat and bring to a gentle simmer and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove lid and simmer for another 20 minutes, flipping the whole chicken 180 degrees.
After 40 minutes of simmering, remove whole chicken and place in freezer to cool down quickly so you don’t burn yourself, allow the stock to simmer on lowest heat.
Once chicken is cold enough (a few minutes), using a couple of forks remove all the flesh (toss the skin out). Add all the chicken bones back into the stock and use the poached chicken for salads or meal prep.
Add celery leaves on top of stock to help catch any foamy parts on top, making it easier to skim the impurities. Simmer for 2.5 hours and salt as you go to get it just right. Salt and skim every half an hour essentially.
When done strain through muslin cloth to get everything out and toss, before storing in tubs in the freezer. Use for whatever you like, and you can remove the fat after its been frozen, but I don’t because it tastes so good.
To create little stock cubes simmer down into a super rich amount of stock that can fit into ice cubes trays. Then pour in and freeze and then remove whenever you need, and thin out with water.
CHEAP CHICKEN STOCK
2kg whole chicken
2 long celery (save celery leaves if it comes with some)
2 carrot
2 brown onion
1 tbl sp black peppercorns
1 tbl sp coriander seeds
Salt
In large pot add in all your ingredients and gently cover with water all the way to just off the top, before placing a lid on. Pop onto high heat and bring to a gentle simmer and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove lid and simmer for another 20 minutes, flipping the whole chicken 180 degrees.
After 40 minutes of simmering, remove whole chicken and place in freezer to cool down quickly so you don’t burn yourself, allow the stock to simmer on lowest heat.
Once chicken is cold enough (a few minutes), using a couple of forks remove all the flesh (toss the skin out). Add all the chicken bones back into the stock and use the poached chicken for salads or meal prep.
Add celery leaves on top of stock to help catch any foamy parts on top, making it easier to skim the impurities. Simmer for 2.5 hours and salt as you go to get it just right. Salt and skim every half an hour essentially.
When done strain through muslin cloth to get everything out and toss, before storing in tubs in the freezer. Use for whatever you like, and you can remove the fat after its been frozen, but I don’t because it tastes so good.
To create little stock cubes simmer down into a super rich amount of stock that can fit into ice cubes trays. Then pour in and freeze and then remove whenever you need, and thin out with water.