This is a classic french chicken stock and serves as an excellent base for soups, sauces and gravies. This recipe makes about 5 liters, any unused stock can be stored, almost forever, in the freezer to be thawed and added to just about anything to provide flavor.
7 pounds chicken (or other poultry) bones trimmed of any fat
cold water
2/3 pound onions roughly chopped
2/3 pound carrots roughly chopped
1/3 pound celery diced
2 cloves garlic
Bouquet Garni
Some sticks of thyme
3-4 bay leaves
6-7 flat leaf parsley stems
1/2 leek split lengthwise
2 tsps whole peppercorns
4-5 cloves (optional)
1. Rinse bones under cold water. Place in large stock pot and add enough cold water to cover bones completely. Bring water to boil, skimming off any foam as it forms.
2. Lower the stock to a gentle simmer (only a few surface bubbles should be visible) and continue skimming off any foam. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bouquet garni. Simmer for about 2 hours.
3. Carefully remove bones and any vegetables from stock and strain using a fine chinois. Let cool and refrigerate. If not using stock within one day, transfer stock to smaller zip lock bags, label, date and freeze.
Note: After stock's first boil, it is important that it be kept at a gentle simmer, producing only a few surface boubles, for the remainder of its cooking time. A more vigorous boil will aggitate and loosen the stock's ingredients, causing it to become cloudy.
Posted by dvenuto at January 01, 2003 06:21 PM