A Season of Super Soup: Chicken Stock (week 1)

I've been insanely busy this weekend.  Sam was booked up with tattoos (yay!) and so it was pretty much just me and Atticus at home all weekend as Hope was visiting her grandparents.  I made chicken pot pie Saturday night, ham and mac'n'cheese on Sunday night, and right now Apple-Cranberry pork loin is simmering in the crockpot (can you tell I'm eager for Autumn?).  In addition, I also made two batches of chicken stock for the freezer.  I had intended to photo document the entire process, but I had a toddler in the kitchen and while cooking I was singing "Rubber Duckie."  I can only multitask so much.

So here is a very basic recipe with some pictures here and there; oh yea...and I don't really measure:

Chunky chops are fine

 Basic Chicken Stock (adapted from Cooking Light)

• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• a few dashes of dried parsley
• a shake or three of dried thyme
• two pinches of dried rosemary
• 4-5 lb of chicken (a whole fryer or pieces)
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped 
• 1 tsp of minced garlic ( I use the type in the jar)
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 large onions, peeled and quartered
• 4 quarts cold water

Straining... see all the color (ahem flavor) sucked out of the veggies?  The flavor is now in your broth. 

Wash and chop your veggies.  Throw 'em in a big stock pot. Rinse and pat dry the chicken and then throw it on the veggies.  Add the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 4 hours.  Strain through a colander into a large bowl; discard the veggies, salvage the chicken!  Cool stock to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. Skim fat from surface; discard fat.  Store in freezer bags or containers for easy use.

Pre-chilled and skimmed broth. 

After my chicken cooled I deboned it and used some in biscuit-topped chicken pot pie.  I have some in the fridge waiting for me to make chicken salad.  The flavor gets sorta sucked from the veggies while making stock, but I'm always appalled when recipes advocate throwing the chicken away.  Dear Lord have they seen the price of meat!

Another hint, anytime you have vegetables that are looking a bit "sad," just throw them in a freezer bag and pop them in the freezer.  Fennel, parsnips, celery, carrots, etc.... all can be thrown in the broth.  I'll be using this broth as a base for a lot of the soups I'll be making the next few months.