When I made my orange lavender whole roasted chicken this week, there was a large and well flavored chicken carcass leftover. It would have been a crime to waste it, so I made amazing homemade chicken stock! I do this every time I make a whole roasted chicken and I love it. I can control the sodium and know exactly what’s in it. Not only does it taste better than the store bought stuff, it’s so much cheaper. I can make a gallon of homemade chicken stock for less than what it costs to buy a quart!
That was all there was to making the homemade chicken stock! I brought it to a boil and then reduced it to a simmer. I let it simmer for 2 hours to really develop big flavor. Once it was done, I allowed it to cool for 20-30 minutes. I removed the chicken carcass and as many of the aromatics as I could fish out.
I kept one of the containers of homemade chicken stock in my refrigerator to use immediately. The rest went into my freezer for yummy things later! This stuff is going to be amazing for soups, stews, as well as cooking rice and other grains. The possibilities are limitless now that I have a small supply! Pssst, this method also works with the remains of the Thanksgiving turkey. Turkey stock is amazing! xo
Homemade chicken stock is so much more flavorful and cheaper than buying the cartons! Use it in soups, stews, you name it.
- 1 dash olive oil
- 1 whole roasted chicken carcass
- 2 stalks celery quartered
- 2 whole carrots peeled and quartered
- 1 whole onion peeled and quartered
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- 1 gallon water
- 3 whole bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 pinch salt
- Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Brown the chicken carcass in the oil for just a couple of minutes to bring out more flavor. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic clove. Let them get soft and fragrant for a minute. Pour in the water and add the bay leaves, peppercorns and salt.
- Let that mixture come to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Let it simmer gently for 2 hours. When it's done, take the pot off of the heat and let it cool for 20-30 minutes. Then remove the chicken carcass and as many of the aromatics as possible. Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into containers to make it a clear, gorgeous broth. Refrigerate what you will use immediately and freeze the rest until you need it. This recipe makes a gallon of chicken stock! Once it is refrigerated or frozen, there will be a film of fat that rises to the top. Skim it off and it is ready to use.
