Starting Stock

This is the first of many recipes and I have to start with my favorite, chicken stock.

Growing up, my Mom’s side of the family would host big holiday parties. There was a ridiculous amount of food; lasagna, pasta, antipasti, roast beef, pastries, cakes, cookies. But the best part was the soup. A huge, steaming pot would be brought out, filled with delicious chicken soup with hand made pasta. It smelled so good and tasted even better. As a little kid, I remember sitting around with balls of the dough and trays; rolling out little rice-sized pastas in advance of Christmas dinner, anticipating the soup to come. I developed an obsession with recreating that recipe, and I’ve come pretty close.

Fundamentally, the chicken soup I remember was a chicken stock made with veggies, and high quality chicken parts and bones, strained, with pastina added before serving.

This recipe is for the foundational building block; the stock.

I’m a really big fan of making homemade stock. It’s a flexible recipe that is great for limiting food waste and can be used as a base for a variety of soups, grains, and sauces. Making rice, polenta, or risotto? Add in some homemade stock in place of water and you’ll be blown away. I also love packaging it in pint containers and freezing; it makes for a delicious hot beverage on a cold day or a great way to breakfast if you’re like me and you don’t like eating in the morning. It’s also pretty easy to make: basically set and forget once you get going

Interestingly, stock and broth has become very popular, to the point of becoming a bit of a fad. There’s a lot of goofy stuff out there, highlighting the almost mystical powers of bone broth and stock to improve your “gut” and give you superpowers. While it’s safe to say stocks and broth are delicious and healthy, it’s probably not a superfood. They are however an indispensable building block for a lot of tasty dishes.

First things first, I take a pretty loose approach to cooking, viewing recipes as guidelines rather than hard and fast rules. Stocks are something that you can really add your own signature to once you get the fundamentals down. I vary my recipe depending on what’s in season and on hand. I’ll add in leek greens, fennel tops, or celery root once in a while; but stick with the core recipe for a while until you get it down. I’d also strongly recommend checking out Rachael Mamane’s book Mastering Stocks and Broths if you’re looking for in depth information on the topic.

Prep time: 15 minutes plus about 30 minutes to skim. 
Cook time: 4-6 hours
Makes about 3-8 quarts, depending on the size of your pot.*

*Most cookware sets will come with a 6 to 8 quart stockpot. This is the smallest you’re going to want to go with. I recommend using a 12-16 quart pot if you have room for one.

Here is what you're going to need:

4- large carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks
2 parsnips, cut into 2 inch chunks
1 to 2 onions, cut into quarters
1 bunch of Italian parsley stems
1 rind of Parmesan cheese
1tbsp of peppercorns
1 medium tomato, cut in half (or 1 cup of canned whole tomatoes).
1 3 inch knob of ginger, cut in half

I don’t add salt when I cook this. I prefer to add afterwards. Feel free to add salt to taste if you like.

Chicken: Enough to fill your pot half way (roughly 5 lbs)
I save chicken carcasses, backs and necks from when I roast a whole chicken. I also like to get chicken bones, necks, and feet from a local farmer’s market. I find Caincrest Farm to be a great supplier. High quality, local, pastured chicken parts lend a super clean, rich flavor that I haven’t gotten from lower quality store bought chicken, and has been a real game changer. My secret weapon is chicken feet. It may sound gross but the feet have a lot of gelatin which makes the broth rich, and sets it apart from anything store bought.

Process:
Add chicken to the pot, and cover with cold water. Bring to a vigorous simmer, but don’t boil.

Periodically skim off the foam floating on the top. Do this for about 20 minutes or until the foam stops appearing. 

Simmer the chicken for 1.5 hours, then add the vegetables and the rest of your ingredients to the pot. You'll need to add more water to cover the vegetables, and you’ll likely need to turn up the heat briefly to bring the pot back to a simmer. Once it is simmering again, cook for at least 2.5 hours.. 

After cooking for at least 4 hours, scoop out and discard the bones and veggies. Pour the broth through a strainer and into a new container. Make an ice bath in the sink and put the container with the strained broth in it. Stir. Chill in the fridge overnight. 

The next day you should have a big pot of broth with a solid fat cap on top. Remove the fat. If you’ve used bones and/or feet the stock will have a gelatinous texture. (Like chicken jello).

You can freeze the broth for up to 4 months and heat it up to make soup, or even use it as a base for risotto. I like to freeze small containers and just drink the broth for breakfast.. 

Quick chicken soup:

Makes 4 servings

2 Quarts stock

3 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 parsnips, diced

2 cups cooked chicken

2 Cups cooked rice or pasta

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

Set a pot to medium high heat and add in the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the diced veggies and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add in the stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Add in cooked chicken and heat through.

Plate with cooked rice or pasta, and serve with parmesan cheese.

Eat, then take a nap.