Back To Basics: Chicken Stock

Nothing is more basic to the great cuisines of the world than a good, flavorful chicken stock. It is the foundation upon which other great dishes are built. There is something magical about a pot of simmering stock. For me, the act of stock-making is almost a religious experience. The sights, sounds, and smells transport me back to when I was a child and would watch my mom make her delicious chicken soup. It was humble, but it was full of love and soul. It was comfort in a bowl. The key was the stock, carefully made and lovingly tended to.
Today, there are a multitude of ready-made "stocks" on the market. Some are fairly good, but most are little more than dirty water. In a pinch, they have their uses, but could never compare with a homemade stock. Bouillon cubes are nothing more than salt and really should never be used, for anything!
The following chicken stock recipe is the one that I use for most of my Western recipes. It is a classic French Chicken Stock, or Fond de Volaille. Once obtained, the basic stock can be used for soups, sauces, or wherever extra flavor and richness is needed.

Chicken Stock or Fond de Volaille
Makes 3 Quarts

• 5 pounds chicken backs, necks, wings, or carcasses
• 2 large yellow onions, roughly chopped
• 3 celery ribs, roughly sliced
• 3 carrots, roughly sliced
• small bunch fresh thyme sprigs (7 to 10)
• small bunch parsley stems (12 to 15)
• 1 bay leaf, fresh if possible
• 12 black peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves or 4 whole allspice berries (my mom used allspice)
• water to cover

Place the chicken pieces in a large stock pot. Fill pot with enough cold water to cover the chicken. Place on high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Pour chicken and water through a colander. Rinse chicken under running water to remove any clinging scum. Rinse out the pot!

Place chicken back into the pot along with all of the other ingredients. Fill with about 6 quarts of water. Bring back to a boil over high heat. Once pot begins to boil, reduce heat to low and allow to gently simmer for 4 hours. There should barely be any movement in the stock. Adjust heat to maintain the gentlest simmer. This will ensure that the stock will be crystal clear.

Skim off any scum that rises to the surface of the stock. If the stock seems to be evaporating too quickly, add enough water to just barely cover the ingredients.

After 4 hours, remove the stock pot from the heat and strain out the solids. Strain the stock through a fine sieve to remove any little particles. Cool the stock and then refrigerate overnight. The next day, you can remove the fat that has risen and solidified on top of the stock. Do not throw this fat away, you can use it to fry potatoes! Return stock to the stove and reduce it to concentrate the flavors. I recommend reducing it until you are left with about 3 quarts of stock. This will give you optimal flavor and cut your reduction time in any sauces that you make with the stock. Cool the stock and refrigerate.

Stock may now be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.