Chicken Stock (or white stock)

Name: Chicken Stock (or white stock)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 1 lb chicken bones (carcass) or veal bones; 3½ pints cold water; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 large onion; 1 large carrot; 1 stick celery; 1 leek; bouquet garni; ½ teaspoon black peppercorns

Ready in 1 hr 10 mins

Recipe by Graham

Chicken Stock (or white stock) is a nice, light stock that has a multitude of uses. If you have a chicken carcass left over from cooking, you can use it to make a stock that you can freeze or turn into soup. Chicken stock is the secret ingredient of restaurant food. A good chicken stock should have decent body, along with a mild savory flavor that enhances—rather than competes with—the sauces, glazes, and soup bases you make with it.

Aa good white chicken stock should have a the full, clean flavors of chicken and aromatic vegetables, and have more body than water. If it gels at least slightly when chilled, that's a good sign as far as body is concerned. At the same time, a good basic stock should not have any particularly strong or unconventional flavors. The goal here is versatility, so we want to make sure it will work with all kinds of recipes.

Preparation Time

10 Minutes

Cooking Time

1 Hour

Ingredients for Chicken Stock (or white stock)

If you are not familiar with any ingredients, please check our International Cooking Terms page.

Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements

1 lb chicken bones (carcass) or veal bones
3½ pints cold water
1 teaspoon salt
1 large onion
1 large carrot
1 stick celery
1 leek
bouquet garni
½ teaspoon black peppercorns

How to Cook Chicken Stock (or white stock)

If you have cooked a chicken, you can use the carcass (with any bits of meat still attached) to make this recipe. Place them into a large saucepan with the water and salt. Slice the onions, carrots, celery and leek (no need to peel any of them) and add them to the pan along with the bouquet garni and peppercorns. Bring the water to the boil then cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat and simmer very gently for 1 hour.
Allow the stock to cool a little then strain it through a fine sieve (strainer) and discard all the solids. Allow the liquid to cool completely and then skim off the fat (which will rise to the surface). This produces about 3 pints (1.75ltr) of chicken (or white) stock that will keep in the freezer until required. A little time taken, but the improved flavours will make it well worthwhile.

GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
If you want to add a 'tang' to your chicken stock, you can press four or five cloves into the onion before adding to the pan.