I wasn’t kidding when I said this chicken stock is the best stock you will ever make. It doesn’t have any fancy ingredients in it but it will produce a wonderful, full flavored stock that you can use in a multitude of recipes. Looking at the photo , the large jar of stock, on the left, shows the stock after it has been refrigerated and the fat has come to the top. The smaller jar, on the right, shows the stock after the fat has been skimmed and it has been heated. Isn’t it gorgeous?
Because I am on a low iodine diet, I had to use salt with no iodine it it. When I’m not on a low iodine diet, I use table salt. I prefer table salt to Kosher salt but I know a lot of cooks prefer Kosher salt over table salt. Use whatever you prefer. It will still be delicious.
The difference between stock and broth is stock is made from bony chicken parts and broth is made from chicken meat, like breasts. Making a good stock takes a lot longer than making a broth. Chicken stock tends to have a fuller mouth feel and richer flavor, due to the gelatin released by long-simmering bones. You will also notice that the chicken stock made from roasted chicken pieces has a much richer color than broth made from chicken meat that hasn’t been roasted.
I discovered that I could make the same stock, in a pressure cooker, in a fraction of the time. Instead of simmering for 6 hours, I cooked it for 1 hour. It took about 1/2 hour for the steam to get to the right level and another half hour for the steam to come down on it’s own. Two hours vs. six. Another advantage of using a pressure cooker is that you end up with a super clear stock.
You can also make this stock in a slow cooker. This will take longer but you don’t need to “babysit” the pot. You could even cook it overnight.
The recipe below is the basic recipe. I have done it with chicken wings, chicken parts, and a whole chicken. It depends on what I want to make with the stock. I usually make it with a whole chicken. Then I divide the meat and stock into meal size containers for the freezer. When I want to make a meal using one of the containers, I add cut up carrots and celery to the meat and stock mixture, season it to taste, simmer it for about 1/2 hour and then add cooked pasta, rice or dumplings.
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds chicken wings
- 4 Large carrots - scrubbed but no need to peel
- 4 Celery Stalks - scrubbed
- 2 Onions - cut in half
- 2 Tablespoons oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475
- Put chicken on a foil lined baking sheet or other shallow pan. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. For a low iodine diet, use Kosher salt or table salt with no iodine.
- Roast for 45 minutes and then add the onion, cut side down, to the roasting pan and roast 15 additional minutes.
- To a large heavy-bottomed pot, add the carrots, celery, roasted chicken wings, onion and the juices from the pan. Add about a tablespoon of salt. Cover with 12 cups of water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer, uncovered, on low for 6 hours, skimming any impurities that float to the top. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer.
- At this point you may freeze your stock in individual containers or refrigerate it for about 5 days.
- You may also make this in a pressure cooker or a slow cooker.
- Pressure cooker directions - After roasting the chicken put all of the ingredients in a pressure cooker. Do not fill your pressure cooker more than 2/3 full. You may have to adjust the water and add less to stay below the 2/3 line. Bring the steam up, cook for 1 hour, let steam go down on it's own. When you can take the lid off the pot, strain the broth and store or use.
- Slow cooker directions - After roasting the chicken put all of the ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover with water. Cook on low for 8 hours or overnight.