Pretty Quick Chicken Stock Recipes

Steps:

• Place chicken, vegetables, and herbs and spices in 12-quart stockpot. Set opened steamer basket directly on ingredients in pot and pour over water. Cook on high heat until you begin to see bubbles break through the surface of the liquid. Turn heat down to medium low so that stock maintains low, gentle simmer. Skim the scum from the stock with a spoon or fine mesh strainer every 10 to 15 minutes for the first hour of cooking and twice each hour for the next 2 hours. Add hot water as needed to keep bones and vegetables submerged. Simmer uncovered for 6 to 8 hours.
• Strain stock through a fine mesh strainer into another large stockpot or heatproof container discarding the solids. Cool immediately in large cooler of ice or a sink full of ice water to below 40 degrees. Place in refrigerator overnight. Remove solidified fat from surface of liquid and store in container with lid in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days or in freezer for up to 3 months. Prior to use, bring to boil for 2 minutes. Use as a base for soups and sauces.

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.

Steps:

• In a stockpot, place the chicken bones, then add all of the remaining ingredients, except the water. Add water to cover by 2 inches, bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered for 2 to 3 hours, skimming as necessary.
• Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and cool. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days, discarding the hardened layer of fat before using or freezing.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place chicken thighs and legs on a sheet pan. Lightly coat with oil and roast until golden, about 35 to 45 minutes.
• Coat a large, deep stock pot lightly with olive oil. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic to the pot and bring it to a medium high heat. Cook the vegetables stirring frequently until they start to get soft and are very aromatic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and add to the pot of vegetables along with the bay leaves and thyme. Fill the pot with water. Place the pot on a burner on high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Eventually a gray scum will form on the top of the water. Skim the scum and the fat off the top of the water. Simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Refill the water as it evaporates.
• Strain stock and discard the chicken and veggies. Store the stock in smallish containers, plastic pint and quart containers from Chinese take out are perfect! Recycle! If not using right away freeze for later use.

Steps:

• Place chicken wings in bottom of large stockpot. Tie together the legs of the chicken with a piece of kitchen twine. Place whole chicken in pot on top of wings. Scatter remaining ingredients around chicken and pour on the wine. Add cold water to cover chicken generously, by about 3 inches. Bring pot to a simmer over high heat, then skim any foam that may have accumulated on the surface with a ladle and reduce the heat to low. Cook at a bare simmer for 1 hour, skimming foam and fat frequently and regulating the heat so the stock does not boil. After 1 hour, remove the whole chicken and let it cool enough to be handled. Cut apart the chicken and remove the meat; reserve for another use. Throw out large pieces of skin and return the bones to the still simmering stockpot. Continue to barely simmer the stock 2 hours. Strain through a coarse sieve into a large metal bowl and cool 2 hours at room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered until chilled. Cover and store up to 2 days before either using or reducing and freezing.
• To reduce and freeze, remove any congealed fat from the cold stock then empty it into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat then lower heat to medium and reduce stock at a lively simmer until half the original volume. Skim as necessary. When well reduced, allow to cool then pour through fine mesh strainer into small freezer containers, label and freeze. To use, add an equal quantity of water to the thawed chicken stock.
• Making excellent stock requires paying attention to a few simple rules. To ensure clear stock, use cold water, skim frequently, and never let the stock boil, which would incorporate fat and particles in the liquid. Keep the stock at just barely a simmer so that it smiles, bubbling gently and occasionally. In this manner your chicken meat will be tender and moistly poached as well. Use plenty of aromatic vegetables to give the stock a good flavor base, and use a large stewing hen which has more flavor than younger birds. Extra chicken wings enhance the stock.
• This recipe yields about 4-6 quarts of stock depending on how rich you like it, as well as a good amount of poached chicken meat. Use it for chicken salad or tacos, etc., or freeze it to use when you reconstitute the broth and turn it into an improvised soup.

Steps:

• Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts); too much will make the broth taste weak. Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering.
• Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When its cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container.
• Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Use the stock immediately or if you plan on storing it, place the pot in a sink full of ice water and stir to cool down the stock. Cover and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze.