French

Homemade chicken stock

Name: Homemade chicken stock
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1500 g chicken carcasses, wings and necks; 3 l cold water; 2 onions (1 studded with the cloves); 2 carrots; 2 celery stalks; 1 leek (white part); 3 garlic cloves (crushed); 2 bay leaves; 4 sprigs of thyme; 5 parsley stems; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 2 whole cloves (to stud the onion); 1 tsp coarse salt (adjust at the end)

A clear, golden, deeply flavoured stock. Start with cold water and a gentle simmer for a crystal-clear result.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 3h
Total: 3h 15
Level: Easy

A pot of homemade chicken stock, golden and clear

Tips

Perfect for using up the bones from a roast chicken, for instance the bones from roast chicken thighs.
Blanching the bones is optional, but gives a noticeably clearer stock.
Starting with cold water and a gentle simmer (never a hard boil) are the two keys to a clear, flavourful stock.
When straining, don't press on the vegetables, that's what keeps the stock clear.
Stock keeps 4 days in the fridge or several months in the freezer.

Method

Optional step: blanch the bones. Put the bones in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse the pieces under clean water. This optional step gives a noticeably clearer stock.
Start with cold water: return the pieces to the clean pot and cover with cold water. Bring slowly to a first gentle simmer, uncovered.
Skim: as soon as grey impurities rise to the surface, scoop them off with a slotted spoon. Repeat until the surface is clean. This is the key to a clear stock.
Add the aromatics: onions (one studded with the cloves), carrots, celery, leek white, crushed garlic, bay, thyme, parsley, peppercorns and coarse salt. Keep a very gentle simmer, above all don't let it boil hard.
Simmer gently: let it simmer uncovered for 3 hours, skimming from time to time and topping up with a little water if the bones become exposed.
Strain: lift out the large pieces, then pour the stock through a fine sieve lined with muslin. Don't press the vegetables, to keep the stock clear.
Degrease and season: let it cool, refrigerate for a few hours, then lift off the layer of fat that has set on the surface. Taste and adjust the salt. The stock keeps 4 days in the fridge or several months frozen.