How do I make my own stock?

Homemade stock (aka broth or bouillon) is the mark of a real cook. (Not that there's anything wrong with the stuff that's canned and boxed. My pantry is stocked with it.) Although it’s slightly time-consuming, making stock from scratch is a cinch -- it’s nothing more than a strained liquid made from simmering vegetables, meat, and seasonings in water. You can make gallons of the stuff using bits and parts that normally go into the garbage. Without MSG, “flavoring,” powdered carrot, or any of the other unpronounceable preservatives that wind up in a can, a DIY stock is more natural, healthy, and lower in sodium. But, really, it’s about the flavor.

The key ingredient in a meat-based stock is -- what else? -- the meat. It takes roughly 3-4 pounds of bones or shells and meat to make a half gallon of flavorful stock. (A rich, beefy broth might require up to 6 pounds of bone and meat.) You can ask your supermarket butcher for “soup bones,” or save up bones and bits in your freezer until you have enough to make a stock. The most flavorful stocks are made with freshly browned meats and bones, but if you have leftovers (think: Thanksgiving turkey or roast chicken carcass), you can skip the browning step.

Basic Chicken Stock

Ingredients
2 qt. water
1 Tbl. canola oil
4 lb. raw chicken parts (wings, backs, legs)
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 tsp. salt
2 bay leaves

Directions
Bring 2 qt. water to a boil. Allow water to simmer while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Heat oil in a large stockpot. Add half of the chicken and saute just until cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to a bowl and saute remaining chicken. Add onion and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add cooked chicken to the pot, cover, and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Add boiling water, salt, and bay leaves to stockpot. Increase heat to high and cook until the liquid reaches a simmer. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for one hour.

[Nest Note] The previous step can be done in a Crock-Pot or other slow cooker if you want to simmer for longer or need to leave the house while it cooks. The longer you simmer, the more concentrated the flavor; you lose "quantity" because more water evaporates out of the stock, but you make up for it in a richer flavor quality. Some recipes call for cooling and refrigerating the stock overnight, then bringing the whole mixture to a boil again before straining -- an extra step that enriches the flavor.

Carefully strain the broth, discarding the bones and solids. Allow to cool before refrigerating or freezing. Broth can be refrigerated 2 days or frozen for several months. Optional: When the stock is cold or frozen, skim the fat that rises to the top.

You can use this stock as the base for your secret chicken noodle soup recipe or a spicy Tortilla Soup. But a great broth can be used in more than just soup. Hello, Risotto. Or use it in place of water when you make rice (like this Chicken and Rice).

-- Colleen Rush

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