Chicken Stock
Making homemade stock isn't as daunting a task as you may think. I prefer to make my stock with oven-baked bone-in, skin-on leg-thigh chicken.
The stock is guaranteed to make a great soup base, sauce, or gravy.
Ingredients
4-6 cooking onions, peeled & cut in half
2-3 carrots, cut into chunks
2-3 celery stalks with leaves
2-4 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 bunch of parsley; curly or flat-leaf
3-4 chicken leg-thighs, bone-in, skin-on
1 teaspoon salt if adding bouillon
1 tablespoon bouillon, or to taste
Sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika on the chicken leg-thighs. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Fill a large pot with water. Heat water while adding vegetables to the pot. Do not boil. Add the first 4 ingredients and top with the parsley and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the baked chicken and the drippings to the pot for added flavour. Simmer on medium heat for at least one hour. If your stock isn't as tasty as you would like, add bouillon to enhance the flavour. Bouillon cubes are usually high in sodium. The 'Better than Bouillon' has the best flavour without being overly salty. Start with one tablespoon. Add more if desired.
Allow the stock to cool. Using a colander, strain the stock into a large bowl. Remove the chicken from the bones.
Not using the stock immediately? Store the stock in the refrigerator in a well-sealed mason jar for 2-3 days. Remove the fat that has risen to the top of the stock with a spoon. Discard.
Option: Instead of tossing or composting the cooked vegetables, purée and freeze to use in another recipe.
Vegetable purée is a tasty sauce thickener.
Add the cooked chicken to your soup, if desired, or shred and add to your favourite casserole or enchilada.
The only waste is the skin & bones.
Note: 'Better than Bouillon' condensed organic stock is sold at Costco. Sobey's also carries the product.
