The soul of any soup is its stock. If you have a weak stock or
broth you will have a weak soup, no matter how good the other
ingredients are. With so many decent stocks and broths available in
stores, why should you make your own? For me, it boils down to three
simple reasons. First, I can control the amount of fat and salt and end
up with a healthier stock. Second, I can use up ingredients from other
meals. Third, and most important, is that it simply tastes better.
When's the last time you heard someone say "this has too much flavor"?
A good chicken stock starts off with simple ingredients. Obviously, you will need chicken bones and cartilage. This can come from a roasted chicken or bought as is. You can add meat if you like, but it's the bones and connective tissue that will add the most flavor.
Aside from the chicken you will need some aromatic vegetables, with the classic choices being carrots, onions and celery. Leeks, fennel root and parsnips are other veggies that I like to use. And I almost always add a clove of garlic or two. Regardless of which ones you choose, they should be chopped roughly, not too small.
The last ingredients to choose are the herbs and spices. It's best to use fresh, whole herbs where you can. Thyme, sage, parsley, oregano and bay leaves are my usual choices. To make life easy, use some food safe string like butcher's twine to tie the herbs into a bundle, and tie the other end of the string to one of the pot handles, or to a wooden spoon. This will allow you to remove it easily. The last spice to add is pepper corns, which you can just toss in. One thing I don't add is salt, because I can always add it to the recipes I use the stock in.
There is some argument as to whether you should roast the chicken bones before using them to make stock. Honestly, there is only a small difference in the flavor, so I don't think it's worth the effort to roast bones. However, if the chicken was already roasted you won't have to go to that effort. It's true that bones from a whole roast will have given up some of their flavor, but the quality of flavor from the roasting will make up for it.
When you have all your ingredients in a soup pot, add just enough cold water to submerge the ingredients. It's very important that the water be cold, as different organic molecules will get extracted at different temperatures. A slow increase in temperature will allow time for this extraction to occur.
Bring the water to a simmer, not a full boil, and keep it there for at least two hours. From time to time add some hot water to replace what is lost in evaporation. Also, be sure to keep the ingredients submerged. A collapsible basket steamer turned upside down is a great way to do this. As the stock simmers you will get a layer of scum on the top, which should be skimmed off occasionally.
When you are done simmering, use tongs to get the bigger bones and veggies out, and then use a ladle to transfer most of the liquid to another pot. When it's safe to do so, pour the remaining liquid through a strainer to remove the small solids, and return all the liquid back to the soup pot. Bring it back to heat, and reduce the liquid by gently boiling it. Reducing the stock will intensify the flavor, and if you reduce it by half you should notice that the stock has a slightly jelly-like consistency when it cools down. This is a good indication you have extracted lots of good stuff from the bones, because it's the collagen in the bones and joint tissue that makes the stock jiggly, and it's full of flavor and nutrients.
You can use the stock right away, or store it in the fridge for about three days, or in the freezer indefinitely.
The whole process is simpler than it sounds, but it does take time and attention. But if you try it, I think you'll agree it is well worth the effort.
A good chicken stock starts off with simple ingredients. Obviously, you will need chicken bones and cartilage. This can come from a roasted chicken or bought as is. You can add meat if you like, but it's the bones and connective tissue that will add the most flavor.
Aside from the chicken you will need some aromatic vegetables, with the classic choices being carrots, onions and celery. Leeks, fennel root and parsnips are other veggies that I like to use. And I almost always add a clove of garlic or two. Regardless of which ones you choose, they should be chopped roughly, not too small.
The last ingredients to choose are the herbs and spices. It's best to use fresh, whole herbs where you can. Thyme, sage, parsley, oregano and bay leaves are my usual choices. To make life easy, use some food safe string like butcher's twine to tie the herbs into a bundle, and tie the other end of the string to one of the pot handles, or to a wooden spoon. This will allow you to remove it easily. The last spice to add is pepper corns, which you can just toss in. One thing I don't add is salt, because I can always add it to the recipes I use the stock in.
There is some argument as to whether you should roast the chicken bones before using them to make stock. Honestly, there is only a small difference in the flavor, so I don't think it's worth the effort to roast bones. However, if the chicken was already roasted you won't have to go to that effort. It's true that bones from a whole roast will have given up some of their flavor, but the quality of flavor from the roasting will make up for it.
When you have all your ingredients in a soup pot, add just enough cold water to submerge the ingredients. It's very important that the water be cold, as different organic molecules will get extracted at different temperatures. A slow increase in temperature will allow time for this extraction to occur.
Bring the water to a simmer, not a full boil, and keep it there for at least two hours. From time to time add some hot water to replace what is lost in evaporation. Also, be sure to keep the ingredients submerged. A collapsible basket steamer turned upside down is a great way to do this. As the stock simmers you will get a layer of scum on the top, which should be skimmed off occasionally.
When you are done simmering, use tongs to get the bigger bones and veggies out, and then use a ladle to transfer most of the liquid to another pot. When it's safe to do so, pour the remaining liquid through a strainer to remove the small solids, and return all the liquid back to the soup pot. Bring it back to heat, and reduce the liquid by gently boiling it. Reducing the stock will intensify the flavor, and if you reduce it by half you should notice that the stock has a slightly jelly-like consistency when it cools down. This is a good indication you have extracted lots of good stuff from the bones, because it's the collagen in the bones and joint tissue that makes the stock jiggly, and it's full of flavor and nutrients.
You can use the stock right away, or store it in the fridge for about three days, or in the freezer indefinitely.
The whole process is simpler than it sounds, but it does take time and attention. But if you try it, I think you'll agree it is well worth the effort.
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