Chicken Stock: The Basics

The most difficult part in making chicken soup is the stock because it takes time – about six hours. Don’t be discouraged by this. The real work only involves cutting up a chicken or two. For soup, simply cut off the legs and breasts. What we’re after is a meaty carcass. Removing the legs is straight forward enough. To remove the breast, slice along one side of the breast bone to the rib cage, continue cutting along the rib cage until it is attached only where it joins the wing. At that point cut it free.

What remains of the chicken are the back with skin on, the rib cage and the wings. This carcass is the beginning of our soup. One of these will yield a flavorful quart to a quart and a half of stock which in turn will yield a hearty pot of soup serving four to six.

Roast the carcass back side up, in shallow roasting pan with one cup of water or low sodium canned chicken broth, in a 350^o for at least an hour or until the skin is golden brown.

Once the carcass is roasted put it along with the pan drippings in a four quart pot, cover with water and bring it to slow rolling boil. Cook uncovered, barely boiling for five hours. Add water a necessary to keep everything covered. After this slow brew the broth can be strained into another pot. If the soup is to be served the same day skim the fat off the top, otherwise refrigerate over night. The fat solidifies when chilled and is easily removed. And if it is a righteous pot of stock, it will be somewhat like Jello.

I do not add onions, carrots and celery and stuff to the stock pot. These things will enter in later as the stock is turned into soup. It might become a curry or a chili soup.  Assuming this is to be a traditional chicken noodle soup, finish the stock with ground celery seed, thyme, and garlic powder. Start with a ¼ teaspoon each and add more to taste. Then add one teaspoon of dried parsley. The result will be a stock that stands alone as soup with the addition of noodles only. We are now on our way to home cooking, recovering the home economy, and household living.

More on that to come with free range chickens, old shoes and the red Rudge.