Recipe by Brian Hill (Guest Blogger)
Homemade chicken stock is amazing! You cannot even compare it to store-bought stock. And believe it or not, it’s easy! It just takes some time and patience. Start by buying a whole chicken, either already cut up or cut it into 4-6 pieces when you get home. Rinse chicken pieces thoroughly with cold water and pat dry. Put chicken (including heart, liver, gizzard, neck, back) into large stock pot and cover completely with cold water. Add 1 carrot cut into large pieces, 1-2 stalks of celery cut into large pieces, a quartered onion, 4 oz. or so mushroom pieces (can be stems only if you need the mushrooms for other purposes), 2-3 stems fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme), 2 bay leaves, 3-4 whole cloves & 10-12 whole peppercorns.
Bring the pot slowly to a gentle simmer and keep at a temperature that prevents it from boiling during the entire cooking process. You want a nice, gentle simmer. DO NOT BOIL AND DO NOT STIR! By not stirring or allowing the stock to boil it keeps it CLEAR which is important. Let this tasty mixture simmer for 2 hours or so. Carefully remove foam from the top as it appears. After 2 hours or so remove from heat and either pour through very fine strainer or ladle carefully into a large bowl. Allow stock to cool completely and remove any fat on the top. Put into airtight container and store in a cold part of refrigerator NO MORE THAN 5 DAYS. You can also freeze for 2-3 months.
It is wonderful having homemade chicken stock available for soups, rice dishes, polenta or grits. It adds so much more flavor than store bought stock.
