Monday, October 22, 2012

Easy Homemade Chicken Stock

Our newest favorite little food find lately is the seasoned rotisserie chicken at Costco.  They are so inexpensive (at times $4.99) and always moist and flavorful.  I don't think I could even buy a full frozen chicken and roast it at home for under that price.  They are so handy to pick up on the way home and make not only a nice dinner that first night, but great for chicken salad sandwiches or soups later in the week.  Tonight I was going to make homemade chicken noodle soup, but first I wanted to show you how to extend the use of your roasted chicken by making your own simple stock.  

Such a lovely color and texture they get on these roasted chickens!

My own stock? You say??  That's to hard!  Isn't that what the pioneers did?  I don't have that kind of time!  Well, this recipe is so easy you will really be tempted to make your own rich and flavorful stock.  I promise.  Okay, so after you eat your original chicken dinner, pick off all the extra meat from the legs, breast, and whatever is left over. Cut off any fat, skin, or undesirables so you just have nice chunks of meat left.  Save this in a container in the fridge and tomorrow I will post about adding it to your own homemade chicken noodle  soup.  Now that you have all the meat plucked off, you want to put the empty chicken carcass (why does that word gross me out a bit?) in the bottom of the pot and cover it with water.

Making the most of your Costco Rotisserie Chicken by making your own stock!

Next you want to add some veggies to the pot. A couple of roughly chopped carrots, some stalks of celery, and chop up a whole onion or two.  Make sure there is enough water to cover them all up.


The next thing you can add are some spices:  Some sprigs of rosemary, thyme, parsley, and bay leafs.  Also salt and pepper to taste.  We also used Johnny's seasoning salt (which has paprika, onion powder, and pepper in it)


Bring everything up to a boil for a few minutes, then reduce it back down to a low simmer.  Simmer this way uncovered for about four hours.  Occasionally skim off the foam that comes to the surface.  This, by the way, will make your house smell a bit like Thanksgiving dinner.  Make sure to check the liquid level along the way and add a little more water every now and then (only if needed).  Make sure there still is enough to cover everything in the pot.  After about four hours things will be very reduced and you should see a golden brown liquid. Let it cool down a bit before you start pouring it in the next step.


Take a bit of cheese cloth and place it over a mesh strainer.  Carefully pour the still warm liquid and left over veggies and chicken pieces through the strainer into a clean bowl underneath (this is easier with two people).  You are now the proud owner of some prized homemade chicken stock!  Caroline Ingalls would be so PROUD of you! Let it cool down and place it in a sealed container and place in the fridge or freezer. Stock should last about a week in the refrigerator or a few months in the freezer. Note, one chicken does not make a ton of stock. You can always double or triple the recipe if you want to make more.  This is such a great way to extend the use of the chicken! This stock can add great flavor to other dishes, including soups! Tomorrow I will post an easy homemade chicken soup recipe that my kids absolutely love!

1 comment:

Bergen refrigeration manufacturers said...

Great stock. What can I say. I will add magic of stock on my favorite chicken soup. The classic taste in a ready to eat out. There are many varieties of chicken noodle soup and chicken chilly noddle always makes me feel better when I have a cold or a flu.

Regards,
April

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