I love to use broth or stock instead of water whenever possible while cooking. It adds so much depth and flavor. Store bought broth is fine if that is what you have available, but nothing compares to homemade stock. The best part is, it is so easy to make.
I love simple meals and ways to make my life easier, and one of the easiest is grabbing a rotisserie chicken on my way home from work. That chicken is going to do double duty. After your family has enjoyed dinner, don’t throw that carcass away! We’re going to make stock with it. The same goes for any poultry you’ve made. Once you debone it, just save the bones. Making a turkey? Save that neck and throw it in a pot for the best turkey stock ever. Still bits of meat on the bones? Even better. Grab a large stock pot and throw it all in.
I always have fresh celery and carrots in my crisper, so I just add a stalk and carrot to the pot for flavor. You do not have to chop them up, just clean them off and break it a couple large pieces. Have some garlic cloves? Throw a couple in. Onions or green onions? Go ahead and add some. If you do not have garlic or onion, you can always just add a little garlic or onion powder. The best part of this, is that there isn’t an exact recipe; it’s a pantry recipe, whatever you have in the pantry. Once you’ve added your vegetables, fill the pot with water.
Now we top it off with seasoning. Salt and pepper are a given. I also recommend thyme, rosemary and oregano. I love to use fresh herbs, but dried is perfectly fine. McCormick’s also makes a great herbal chicken seasoning that you can use.
Now cover the pot and bring to boil. Lower temperature back down to low and simmer for 2-3 hours until stock is rich and fragrant.
Strain stock into a spouted bowl and discard bones and vegetables. Pour stock into containers and refrigerate or freeze. If freezing, leave room for expansion, do not use glass. The amount of stock you end up with will depend on the size of pot you use and how much water you add. The larger the carcass you have will also affect the richness of your flavor.
Now you have some of the most flavorful and rich stock to use and enhance your cooking. Enjoy!
From-Scratch Chicken or Turkey Stock
Equipment
- 1 stock pot
- 1 strainer
- 1 spouted bowl or pitcher
- mason jars or freezer bags
Ingredients
- leftover chicken or turkey bones, carcass or turkey neck.
- water filtered or purified is best
- 1 stalk celery cut or snapped into large pieces
- 1 large carrot cut or broken into large pieces
- 1/4 onion or 1-2 green onions
- 2 cloves garlic cut in half or split
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp rosemary, thyme, oregano seasonings or choice
Instructions
- Place poultry carcass, bones or neck into stockpot.
- Add your choice of vegetables and cover with water.
- Add seasonings, cover and simmer on low for 2-3 hours.
- Once stock is a richly colored and flavored, strain stock into bowl.
- Discard vegetable and poultry remains.
- Allow to cool, then disperse into containers of your choice.
- May freeze for later use, or refrigerate.
