Pretty Quick Chicken Stock Recipes

THE BEST CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Put the chicken backs and bones, carrots, celery, onion, parsley, leek greens, garlic, black peppercorns and 6 quarts (1 1/2 gallons) of cold water in a large stock pot. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the stock has reduced by about a third, about 3 hours, occasionally skimming away the fat and scum.
• Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the large pieces of vegetable and bone from the pot and discard. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into another large stock pot. Cool completely, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

BASIC CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Quarter onion. Chop scrubbed celery and carrot into 1 inch chunks. Place chicken pieces, onion, celery, carrot, salt, and cloves in large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add 6 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
• Remove chicken and vegetables. Strain stock. Skim fat off the surface.
• To clarify stock for clear soup, removing solid flecks that are too small to be strained out with cheesecloth, follow this method. Separate the egg white from the egg yolk, and reserve the shell. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup cold water, egg white, and crushed eggshell. Add to strained stock, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Strain again through a sieve lined with cheesecloth.

QUICK CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Add chicken wings, chicken backbone, celery, parsley, bay leaves, carrots, rosemary, thyme, onion, peppercorn and salt to a large pot. Cover with enough water
• Place the pot on high heat and bring to a rapid boil, reduce the heat to medium-low heat and simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hour. While the stock is simmering, skim off foam from the surface of the stock intermittently.
• Use a slotted spoon or a spider strainer to carefully remove the vegetables and the chicken from the stock. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer and leave to cool.
• Transfer the cooled chicken stock into jars or divide into airtight plastic containers. Use in recipes as desired.

QUICK CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Cut the wings off the chicken, then separate the leg-thigh quarters from the carcass. Cut the back away from the breast. Pull the skin off of the backbone and legs-thighs and put it aside. Leave the skin on the breast. Set the leg-thigh quarters and the breast aside. Remove as much meat as you can - without going crazy - from the wings; dice and refrigerate.
• Combine what's left of the wings with the backbone, onion, carrot, celery and bay leaf in a large pot with 4 cups water and turn the heat to high.
• Bring almost to a boil, then lower the heat so the mixture sends up a few bubbles at a time. Cook for 30 minutes, or an hour if you have more time.
• Cool slightly and strain, pressing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.

BASIC CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Place all ingredients except water, parsley, dill and salt in a kettle. Add water (it should cover the ingredients) and bring to a boil. Boil for five minutes.
• Lower heat to a simmer and during the next five to 10 minutes carefully skim the top of the soup. When the soup seems to be simmering without additional scum collecting on top, add the parsley, dill and season with salt. Allow the soup to simmer for about two hours, adding a little additional water if necessary to keep the ingredients covered.
• Remove chicken, vegetables and herbs and strain soup through a strainer lined with a linen napkin or several thicknesses of cheesecloth.
• Return soup to a clean pot, return to a simmer and taste carefully for seasoning, adding additional salt if necessary. If the soup is too weak, continue simmering it to concentrate it until the desired intensity of flavor is reached. Chicken soup will keep in the refrigerator up to five days or it may be frozen.