Making chicken stock

[ScottishBeth]

I have 2 carcasses in the freezer and I want to make stock. I made some a few months ago and it didn't taste of very much, and I reduced it down so much that there was not a lot of liquid at all. In the end I used my homemade stock and a stock cube for the risotto I made, so it wasn't what I was hoping for.

Has anyone got any tips? Recipes?

Following with interest as I would like to be able to make good chicken stock too.

I'm not going to be much help as all I do is bung broken up carcass, stripped of skin and all fat, into a pan it just fits in, cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer. I do take out the bones after a while, perhaps an hour. Then reduce further, pour into bowl and leave in fridge overnight, then skim fat off.

(I also add any tiny left over scaps or jelly at the start if it's only been recently cooked and has been kept in the fridge.)

I prefer stock that is one pure taste as the basis for a soup or stew.

I also only ever buy free range for cooking chicken from scratch.

Once the meat is removed break up the bones. I put them in my slow cooker with an onion, a carrot, celery, all chopped up (plus any old veg past it’s best. Also the jelly that sets on the carving tray. Add salt, peppercorns, plenty of herbs. Add water, bring to boil,Four hours on high. You don't have to watch it and the kitchen is steam free. Then I strip any remaining shreds of meat from the bones and give it to the dog with the carrot as a treat. Lovely flavoursome stock, so much better than a cube, adds depth of flavour to everything.

When I make chicken stock, I put the carcass in, then add an onion, celery and carrot. I don't peel them and chop roughly. I also add a few peppercorns. Only enough water to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer for as long as I can be bothered. Usually three or four hours

I tend to wait until I have minimum 2 but up to 4 carcasses then use a big pan but only cover up with water and no more

Dome forget also to drain off any unused juices from the original cooking pan and then chill. Next day you can separate the solidified fat and use for your next roasties and the jelly bit underneath is an amazing stock pot, just heat up!

Agree with this bung EVERYTHING in. You'll be sieveing it off so won't be eating it per say

I would say don't add salt to your stock.
Add salt to the final dish. You have much more control then

I made some a few months ago and it didn't taste of very much

If you are comparing it to a stock cube/pot then yes it really won’t taste of much by comparison, as the cubes have lots of salt and other seasoning (onion, garlic, herbs, sometimes chemicals) added. If using your own stock you have to add these flavours separately.

I often do exactly what you did and use my own stock combined with a stock cube or half a cube. My stock is for nutrients and richness, the cube is more for taste and seasoning.

Adding onion, peppercorns, herbs etc to the stock while it’s simmering does add a bit more flavour but it’s still not going to taste anything like as strong as stock cube stock. But it’s way more nutritious and unctuous.

Breaking up the carcass and packing it in well really helps by reducing the amount of water needed to cover the bones. Some people swear by roasting the bones (shove in the oven next time you do a roast). I used to pressure cook mine for 2 hours which made lovely stock. If it sets to a jelly when cold you've generally got a good flavour.

I cover with water add bay leaves, parsley, thyme, rosemary, a few peppercorns, an onion (chopped in half with skin on, all the peelings from carrots etc from lunch, another carrot, all the juices from the chopping board, any residual gravy etc then gentle boil for about four hours. Sieve then reduce to about a takeaway container in volume. Resieve through a finer sieve and chill. Fat is scraped off when cold and used to fry onions or whatever for the dish I’ll use the stock.

I make chicken stock from 2 different starting points. Leftovers or the full bird.

With roast chicken leftovers it’s going to be darker, so I can slow fry and caramelise my onion, fry my spices such as coriander with it, add white wine carrots and herbs like rosemary. Then I put the bones etc in and cover with water then close it in the pressure cooker for 30-45 minutes. Strain and use as a boost of flavour in risotto or for soup.

A full chicken needs the onions, carrots and celery only sweating in butter, whole garlic cloves and sweet herbs like thyme and bay leaf. Fry your whole chicken all over in this but don’t burn it. White wine to deglaze, maybe some shaved lemon zest, then cover and cook in the pressure cooker.
This makes mild tasty cold boiled chicken that falls off the bone for salads or mixing with mayonnaise.
The strained clear broth can be used for consommé, summer veg soup or anything else that takes your fancy.

Our local farm shop sells raw chicken carcasses (breasts, wings and legs removed). I roast these for 15mins in oven, then tip into large slow cooker alongside onion/spring onion, carrot and celery plus bouquet garni

12-24hrs later, I sieve and cool. Produces a delicious, delicate stock which is pure jelly. It's a very different product to anything made with a stock cube which got me taste over salted.

We salt and season the final product.

I would guess that anyone for whom a stock cube makes good stock might not taste the real stock. I can feel it going me good.

And a chicken risotto made with real stock is incredible

I pressure cook the carcasses of roasted chickens for c.30 mins, then lid off & reduce to save space in the freezer.
Don't forget the flavour is in the fat - don't discard it.

You don’t get a huge amount of stock from each chicken and if you over-dilute it it will be a bit bland, yes. I reckon on getting three pints of stock tops, not a full pot.

I add carrot, onion, a bay leaf and peppercorns to my carcasses, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for a whole day (minimum 7 hours). I top up with a little water if the level goes a long way below the bones. From two carcasses I'd get about a litre of stock which sets to a jelly consistency in the fridge. I used to only cook for a couple of hours and the extra time has made a big difference.

Thanks everyone - this is good!

I've read things about vinegar. Does anyone use that?

No no no

Any random veg bits, bay leaves and pepper corns fill your boots or pot but it needs nothing else

I've heard a little vinegar can break down the bones but never tried it as I worried that adding enough to make a difference would make the stock vinegary!

Supposedly a little vinegar helps leach “goodness” out of the bones, but I doubt it makes much difference to the flavour. If you are concerned about getting enough calcium I think you’d be better advised to just drink some milk.

I made it once. But it did seem to require an awful lot of chicken bones for a relatively small amount of stock. I did land up with the best risotto I'd ever made though afterwards....

I stuck mine in the slow cooker (broken up), topped with water and some carrots and leaks, a bay leave and some pepper corns. On low overnight. Dog enjoyed the bits of chicken after too.

But not sure it's worth the faff! And I don't have enough freezer space to freeze it and wait until I have enough for a big batch. Sadly.

I use just the chicken carcass (and any scraps of meat/jelly), half a TSP of salt and maybe some herbs (rosemary/thyme/bay leaf). Simmer for a couple of hours then strain. I find if you start putting in carrot/onion etc it ends up tasting of vegetable soup rather than a strong chicken flavour.

I don't add veg or herbs, as I have found some veg esp carrots and onions can make it sweet.
I use 3 or 4 carcasses and a large pan , as pp say cover with water and bring to the boil the very low simmer for 4 or 5 hrs.
Strain and chill , it should set to a firm wobbly jelly

do not strain directly down the sink plug hole . . . . I have never done that , nope not never ,not me, im not that daft 🙄

Thank you everyone! I am very pleased with my stock. It has set to quite a firm jelly and tastes a bit chicken-y.

I think the mistake I made before was a lot too much water. I did the best I could to pack the chicken, carrot and onion in small, then put water in, but not quite enough to cover it all. As the stock was simmering, I broke the chicken carcass into smaller pieces.