Recipes we will discuss in this month’s class:

Beef Stock
Chicken Stock
Vegetable Stock

Step 1: Acquiring the chicken.

You can obviously use a whole chicken to prepare chicken stock — and sometimes this is nice, particularly if you want to bone the chicken and utilize the meat for soups, stews, chili’s etc. There are many times, however, that you may not need the meat, so it could result in waste. Here is our tip. When preparing any chicken dish, purchase whole chickens and cut the chicken up into the parts needed for the recipe. Rarely do we use the backs (in fact I think I can say never in this case) in our recipes. Instead of tossing the backs, necks and wing tips in the garbage, grab a zip lock bag and throw those parts in the bag, seal and freeze. They will keep for a couple of months in the freezer. When you are ready to make stock, simply remove from the freezer and begin (no need to defrost!).

Ingredient: When making a large stockpot of stock use 2 backs for a nice rich stock.

Step 2: Prepare your mise en place.

For all stocks the vegetables remain basically the same. For one stock pot use:

Ingredients for a large stock pot of stock:

• 2 medium onions (skins left on), cut in half
• 2 large carrots, cut in half
• 2 large celery ribs, cut in half
• 1 garlic clove, unpeeled
• 1 large sprig of parsley
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme (1 teaspoon of dried thyme can be substituted)
• 5-6 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf

Note that we said unpeeled onions. Leaving the skins on adds a wonderful rich color to the stock. If you peel the onions you will certainly notice the difference in the outcome.

Step 3: Fill your stockpot

Place the frozen or fresh chicken backs (or parts) in a large stockpot. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic clove. Fill the pot with water. Set the pot over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Once it achieves a boil, reduce the heat and bring to a simmer. During the first 15 minutes of simmering, occasionally skim the top to remove the foam. Once the foam has been skimmed off, add the parsley sprig, thyme sprig, peppercorns and bay leaf. Let simmer for 6 hours, uncovered and undisturbed.

Step 4: Strain the stock

After the stock has cooked for about 6 hours, turn off the heat and let cool briefly. Set a fine sieve over a large bowl or large 2 quart Pyrex measuring cup. Pour the stock through the sieve.

Step 5: Store the stock

We have found the best way to store the stock is to purchase the reusable/disposable Tupperware containers — Ziplock and Glad both make versions of these and both are available in the bag/foil/plastic wrap section of your grocery store. They come in various sizes. We prefer the 1 cup and 2 cup containers (the package will say how much it will hold). Pour your stock into the containers, snap the top on and stack in your freezer. The stock will keep for months.

One large stock pot will produce about 18 cups of stock!

Step 6: Using the stock

When you have recipe that calls for chicken stock, simply remove the appropriate amount from the freezer and let defrost (either at room temperature or pop it in the microwave and defrost). Before you defrost the stock, remove the lid and scrape off the fat. The fat will have risen to the top and usually will just lift off in one chunk.

Note: You will notice that we never mentioned seasoning the stock with salt. We prefer not to season the stock until utilizing it in a recipe. The stock will keep longer unsalted and by not salting the stock you have more control over the sodium content of your recipes. You will notice, however, that you will need to add quite a bit of salt to get it to taste like what you may be used to…this is only a testament to how much salt commercial chicken stock contains!

You can easily prepare beef stock the same way as chicken stock — the same vegetables, just use beef bones instead. The result will be good but we like our beef stock a little richer. This method is still easy, however it does require one extra step.

Step 1: Acquiring the beef bones.

Neck and hip bones are desirable as well as joints. Ask your butcher or look in your grocery store — usually they will have packaged soup bones that will work just fine.

Ingredient: Beef Neck & hip bones or joints.

Step 2: Roast the bones.

Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Place the bones on a foil-lined baking sheet. Using a knife spread the tops and sides with tomato paste. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 45 minutes or until the bones are caramelized.

Ingredient: 1 can of tomato paste

Step 3: Fill your stockpot.

Again the vegetables are basically the same:

Ingredients for a large stock pot of stock:

• 2 medium onions (skins left on), cut in half
• 2 large carrots, cut in half
• 2 large celery ribs, cut in half
• 1 garlic clove, unpeeled
• 1 large sprig of parsley
• 5-6 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf

Place the cooked bones in the stockpot along with the onions, carrots, celery ribs, garlic clove, parsley, peppercorns and bay leaf. Fill the pot with water. Set the pot over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Once it achieves a boil, reduce the heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 6 hours, uncovered and undisturbed.

Step 4: Strain the stock

(Same as chicken stock.) After the stock has cooked for about 6 hours, turn off the heat and let cool briefly. Set a fine sieve over a large bowl or large 2 quart Pyrex measuring cup. Pour the stock through the sieve.

Step 5: Store the stock

(Same as chicken stock.) We have found the best way to store the stock is to purchase the reusable/disposable Tupperware containers — Ziplock and Glad both make versions of these and both are available in the bag/foil/plastic wrap section of your grocery store. They come in various sizes. We prefer the 1 cup and 2 cup containers (the package will say how much it will hold). Pour your stock into the containers, snap the top on and stack in your freezer. The stock will keep for months.

One large stock pot will produce about 18 cups of stock!

Step 6: Using the stock

(Same as chicken stock.) When you have recipe that calls for beef stock, simply remove the appropriate amount from the freezer and let defrost (either at room temperature or pop it in the microwave and defrost). Before you defrost the stock, remove the lid and scrape off the fat. The fat will have risen to the top and usually will just lift off in one chunk.