An easy to make base for soups and sauces.
Makes about 2 liters/64 oz–enough for soup for 4-6 people
INGREDIENTS
- whole chicken: 1-2 kg/2-4 lbs
- carrot: 1 large, roughly chopped
- celery: 1 stalk, roughly chopped
- onion: 1 medium, roughly chopped
- thyme, rosemary, and or sage: 1-2 sprigs, whole
- bay leaf: 2
- garlic: 3 cloves, whole, smashed
- whole peppercorns: 1 Tb
- water: 2.5 liters/85 oz
STEPS
- Remove legs and wings from chicken. This saves space in the pot so less water is needed to cover all ingredients, resulting in a richer stock.
- Add chicken, then dry ingredients to a pot, add just enough water to cover chicken. (ideally no more than 1 liter/64oz per 1 kg/2 lbs of chicken to keep the stock from being too weak)
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- After 30 minutes, remove the chicken breast and the meat from the legs and keep aside for other dishes. Return the carcass/bones to the pot.
- Simmer for another 3 hours, occasionally skimming away any waste floating to the surface.
- Drain the pot through a fine colander and allow the stock to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.