chicken stock experts this way please

[Jaffacakesallround]

looking for opinions...

I've tracked down an excellent local butcher who is happy to give me chicken carcasses ( free range) free when I'm buying other meat. I'm using these to make stock for soups and risotto. I always make chicken stock from a roast carcass when we've had a roast dinner.

I wonder if using the carcass 'raw' is going to give a different flavour stock to a roast carcass and if it might be a good idea to quickly roast the carcasses first?

Its meant to be better to use raw I think. Having said that I'm definitely not 'expert' - mine always tastes of nothing, and looks like dishwater.

I'd have to try it and see!

I always roast bones first, it tastes nicer IMHO. Leave the onion skins on when you make the stock for a nice colour, then reboil it really hard once you've strained it to emulsify any fat into the juices.

Ooh good tips, thanks. I always just bung the roast chicken carcass in a pan with boiling water, peppercorns and bayleaves. Next time I'll put in onion too and boil it up after straining. Any tips on how much water you can use for a medium chicken carcass?

well it's simmered now for hours and tastes ok though not quite as strong as with the bones roasted.

I also always add a chopped carrot (s), celery stick, sometimes a bit of mouldy swede or parsnip , bay leaf and sometimes sprig of thyme, but not onion as allergic to it- but would if not.

I use about 2 pints of liquid to 1 carcass but do top up.

My stock 'recipe' if you like is to roast off the chicken carcass with.... broken up carrots, peeled onion, several sticks of celery, bay leaves, star anise, peppercorns, parsley stalks, salt. Short time for lighter stock, longer time for darker stock. I then cook that with about 3 pints of water in the pressure cooker.

How long do you roast the carcass and veg for? I don't have a pressure cooker, but presume it'll be fine in a pan on the hob with a lid on.

I break the carcass up, smashing the bones with a cleaver to expose the marrow, and then roast all of the above in a medium oven for about 20 minutes for a light stock or up to 1 hour for a darker stock. It's fine in a large saucepan with a lid. Pressure cooker eliminates evaporation, produces a deeper flavour and makes your house smell less like a soup kitchen.