How to Make Basic Chicken Stock

Chicken stock is the foundation of many delicious soups and full-bodied sauces, and is an important component that adds richness and flavor when preparing many dishes. Although there are some commercial chicken stocks out there that are low in salt and will do in a pinch, there is nothing like making your own. Here are the step-by-step instructions for making any type of stock. For a complete lesson on how to make stock, check out the videos at the Rouxbe Cooking School.


Chicken stock contains four elements: bones, cold water, mirepoix, and bouquet garni.

Bones

It is important to smell the chicken bones to make sure they are fresh. If they are fresh, they shouldn't smell of anything. Don't use bones that are slimy or smell sour. You can use the bones from the neck, carcass, or back. Trim excess fat and any attached skin. Clean the bones by rinsing them with cold water.

Unclean Bones	Clean Bones, Clean Water

Cold Water

Cold water is vital for a successful stock. It draws the proteins, impurities, and fat from the bones, allowing them to slowly escape and coagulate as you heat the stock. The proteins, impurities, and fat rise to the surface of the stock enabling you to skim them off. Starting off with hot water suspends the proteins and impurities throughout the stock and makes it impossible to remove them. This will turn your stock cloudy.

Mirepoix

A classic mirepoix is a combination of onions, leeks, celery, and carrots. The ratio used is 50% onion/leek, 25% celery, and 25% carrot. The vegetables should be cut into approximately 1/2"-sized pieces (big enough that they will cook through and release their flavor during cooking time but not so small that they will disintegrate).

Bouquet Garni

This is a classic French combination of herbs and spices. Bay leaves, fresh thyme, parsley stems, celery leaves, and black peppercorns are used here. The amount shown below was used for 10 pounds of chicken bones. For 5 pounds of bones, you could try: 1 bay leaf, a couple sprigs of fresh thyme, a few parsley stems and celery leaves, and approximately 10 peppercorns. Use the seasonings as desired. It is often wrapped in a piece of cheesecloth and tied into a bundle with kitchen string.

When making stock, use 5 parts bones to 1 part mirepoix. For example, 5 pounds of chicken bones to 1 pound mirepoix (1/2 pound of onion/leek, 1/4 pound celery, and 1/4 pound carrot).

Equipment Needed:

• large enough stock pot for the quantity you are making
  
• fine mesh sieve
• cheesecloth
• large ice bath
• spoon
  
• kitchen twine

Directions:
1. Rinse and clean bones under cold running water. Place in a large stock pot.
2. Fill the pot with very cold water (approximately 2" higher than the bones) and place on the stove.

3. Over high heat, bring the stock just to the boiling point. Decrease the heat to hold a light simmering temperature. Using a spoon, skim the impurities from the surface as they rise. DO NOT BOIL. Boiling a stock churns the impurities and fat back into the stock, rather than bringing them to the surface to skim. This makes the stock cloudy.
4. Simmer lightly for approximately 15 minutes. Once the majority of the impurities have been removed from the surface and no more is rising to the top, add the mirepoix and the bouquet garni.
5. Continue to skim as the mixture simmers for approximately at least 1.5 hours - even as long as 4 to 6.


6. Remove the pot from the stove and gently strain it though a fine mess sieve, trying not to disturb the mixture too much. Alternatively, you can remove the stock using a ladle and transfer it through a strainer. You can line the strainer with cheesecloth to enhance the filtering process.


7. To ensure food safety, stock must be cooled down as fast as possible. Place the strained stock into a pot and place over an ice-bath. Stir to cool.


8. Refrigerate overnight. The following day, skim any fat that rose to the surface. Use freshly made stock within 3-4 days if storing in the refrigerator. Alternatively, place it into containers (allow some room for the liquid to expand) and freeze. Frozen stock will keep for several months.


Yield: I used 10 pounds of bones, which produced nearly 7 litres of stock.

Some Stock Making Tips:

• To keep the ratio of bones : mirepoix between 3 - 5 : 1. Keep the flavors neutral - if you are making chicken stock, make sure it tastes like chicken and is not overpowered with carrots.
  
• Use fresh vegetables and peel them. Your stock will only be as good as your ingredients.
  
• Be careful when using dried herbs in your bouquet garni. Too much can overpower the chicken flavor in a stock.
  
• Experiment with different herbs, spices, and mirepoix.
• Use tea bags for bundling bouquet garni. Try these.
• You can use a coffee filter in place of cheesecloth when straining stock.
• Never use a lid when making stock. You run the risk of bringing it to a boil. As the stock cooks, you want it to reduce somewhat to strengthen its flavor.
• Salt is often omitted during the stock-making process or used lightly - only about 1/4 tsp per liter of liquid. If you plan to reduce the stock, it can become too salty, so make sure to go light on the salt as salt and other seasonings are added to individual recipes you add the stock to.
• If the water level falls during cooking, you can add cold water to keep the solids covered. Flavor from the bones cannot be extracted if they are not submerged in water. 
  

Click here for more stock pictures.

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