Chef-Essential Homemade Chicken Stock

Chicken stock is, perhaps, the most universal of the classic stocks, and so it is the most versatile in its applications. Stocks, in general, can be deceptively simple: take a bunch of bones, roast them (or omit this step for a different kind of chicken stock), throw a bunch of chopped vegetables into a stockpot, submerge all of that in water, and let it simmer for several hours. Easy, right? Actually, stocks can be quite complex—much more complex than that deliberately dramatic way I just presented them. It is often said that you can rank a lineup of chefs in order from best to worst based purely on a blind test of a sampling of their stocks. For that reason, and because stocks are such basic building blocks of so many dishes in the kitchen, it is vital that every home cook know the best techniques.

The largest pot we have here at home, by capacity, is an 8-quart Dutch Oven, which I have featured in a few recipes before. That is not nearly large enough, nor is it the right shape for making stock. I have regularly used my Dutch oven to make ragù Bolognese, especially if and when the grocery store substituted our order for more meat than we ordered during the quarantine. That Dutch oven made enough ragù for 8 meals if the pasta was particularly saucy, and for 12 meals if the sauce was rationed. Followed exactly, this recipe would double the capacity if the Dutch oven. Capacity aside, there is another problem with my Dutch oven: it is quite short, and it is rather wide. This geometry creates a problem. Wider surface areas lend to quicker evaporation, and, again, this is a basic stock, not a demiglace reduction, so we want to minimize evaporation. Some evaporation is bound to happen, and water can and should be added to counteract that throughout the simmering process. The ideal pot has a very large volume but is very tall and very narrow, especially in proportion to its height.  

The pot that is needed for these stocks as the recipe is written is at least twice as voluminous as the biggest one I have (so I can only ever make half a batch at a time at home). The requisite stock-making vessel is whatever the largest available stockpot which is suitable for your kitchen and which you can easily find is; they’re widely available at hardware or big-box stores (i.e., Ace, Walmart, Target, Costco, etc.), and they usually run about $20 to $40. The absolute minimum size for this recipe (if not proportionally reduced) is 18 quarts—4.5 gallons (almost exactly 17L). Bigger is better, but for a non-industrial kitchen, the biggest I recommend is 32 quarts—8 gallons (30.3L). Be sure you have found a good stockpot in the recommended volume range before proceeding, especially if you have decided to use a smaller pot for smaller batches.

This recipe can be adjusted, so if you are making much more or much less stock—I only made 6 quarts at a time—use a larger or smaller but correctly proportional pan (i.e., one that is taller than it is wide and has more than enough volume for the amount of stock you want to make) and it will work just as well. Whatever style or capacity is used, even if it has a lid, do not use it.

The first question about actual food we need to address, naturally, is what cut of chicken to use in chicken stock. My recommendation is to use wings. At least here in the US, it is relatively easy to find wings in trays that weigh 4 to 7 pounds (1.8 to 3.2 kg), and they are typically sold either cut up into two parts when only the meatier drumette is sold, or they’re sold whole. For this stock, the best option would be to buy 2 of those trays of whole wings. Whole wings contain lots of collagen, which will be most beneficial in the preparation of the best stock. If you have leftover carcasses (as we did a few days before this was written, since we'd just bought a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store a few days before), they work just as well.

The French call the combination of onions, celery, and carrots (to which I recommend the technically non-traditional addition of garlic) “mirepoix.”  Other recipes for more exacting dishes might call for precise cuts in the mirepoix, but I’ll only recommend that the onions, carrots, and celery be about the same size within each vegetable, and that they are cut in the following way: 2 pounds of onions (4-6 onions), roughly cut into quarters; 1 stalk of celery (that includes multiple ribs connected at one point), cut into thirds after the root has been cut off; and 1 pound of carrots, peeled, and with the very top and very bottom of each carrot cut off. This 2:1:1 ratio is standard in any restaurant kitchen that prepares anything requiring mirepoix, and, even if you do not cook professionally, is a great flavor base to add to almost any savory Western dish. You can either not peel the onions and just quarter them, or peel them, quarter them, and put the skins back in the stock. (Italians call this combination of vegetables "soffrito" and Spaniards call it "refogado.") Further, slice 2 heads of garlic across their equators. This opens up all of the cloves at once and allows them to release their flavorful oils into the stock. Roasted garlic becomes very umami-sweet and much less bitter and pungent than fresh raw garlic. You can add other hearty vegetables like leeks and parsnips, to your stock, if you like them and/or they are in season. Don't worry about being too pretty with any of the cuts here-- all the solids will be eventually strained out.  

I have mentioned another French term, “mise en place,” before, and a number of my previous recipes, like this one, are just fancy exercises in mise en place. Each stock will require a substantial amount of mise en place. The tasks will not be particularly complex, but they will be time-consuming and repetitive, namely, in chopping the vegetables and organizing the vegetables and the wings on roasting trays.

Some stocks are brown, and others are white. Brown stocks are stocks for which the protein is roasted. In general, for these applications, 400 Fahrenheit for an hour and a half should work quite well. A chicken stock that uses wings needs about an hour to develop the deep flavor and caramelization typical of brown stock, and for evenness in this effect, I recommend flipping the wings every 20 minutes.

White stocks, on the other hand, are stocks where the protein is first blanched and shocked in cold water before being introduced to the stockpot. To blanch, cover the protein in cold water in a pan large enough to contain it, and, as quickly as possible, bring that liquid to a boil. Once the water boils, keep the protein there no less than 10, but no more than 30 seconds. Immediately kill the heat, drain the water, and move the protein to an ice bath. The ice stops the cooking process as quickly as possible. This will remove any mineral impurities from the surface of the bones. This is the defining difference between brown stock and white stock. Brown is roasted, white is blanched. Whatever protein is used, brown will be significantly richer, the flavor of the meat that was used will be more pronounced, and the color will be much lighter in the white stock as compared to the brown. Knowing now the difference between brown and white, the rest of this recipe will proceed along the brown path. 

Chicken is the easiest to burn among the proteins typically used to make stock, so adjust these times according to the power of your oven and err on the side of slightly under-roasting. Arrange the chicken wings, celery, garlic, onions, carrots, and other vegetables on roasting pans and place them in a preheated (400 F) oven. Every 15 minutes rotate the roasting trays a half-turn. Once 45 minutes have passed, squeeze 1 tube of tomato paste onto the chicken and vegetables, and toss to coat. Even coating prevents burning and promotes equal browning at the same rate. As before, every 15 minutes rotate the trays a half-turn, but now, in addition, also flip the contents of those trays. This will ensure deep, even caramelization and will prevent burning. If anything burns, throw everything away and start over. (You can skip the rotation if you drop the temperature to 350 and activate convection mode on your oven if it exists.)

After the 75-minute roast, the chicken will have released some fat, and both it and the vegetables will have released some water. Some of what was released will still be liquid, while some of what was released will have gotten stuck to the tray, solidified, and caramelized. Transfer all the solids and what you can of the liquids into the stockpot. Then, using some water and a spatula, scrape the surface of the pans to dissolve what is stuck to them into the water. How much flavor is contained in these solid bits, and what proportional yield of these solid bits a chef can get from their pans, more than anything else, will be the key to differentiating “okay” stock from “great” stock.  This process is known as “deglazing,” and doing this (as opposed to writing off those solids) maximizes flavor. The chicken stock itself is a popular deglazing liquid in making sauces, stews, soups, gravies, and the like, but for now, since we are just now building the stock, use water, or if you are feeling adventurous and want to add fruity notes to your stock, some white wine.

Take all the liquid you have deglazed into the stockpot, together with the easily accessible liquid you poured out and the solids from the roasting pan. Start filling the 18-quart stockpot with 12 quarts (3 gallons, 11.3 liters) of water. (This can, of course, be adjusted proportionally if you need more or less stock, so long as the amounts of chicken and vegetables are adjusted as well.) Flavor the stock with a bay leaf, fresh dill, parsley, oregano, and thyme bound in a bouquet garni with butcher's twine for easy removal in a few hours. After all the water and solids are in the stockpot, make sure you have at least 2 inches of clearance from the lip. 

Turn on the burner to its lowest setting possible while still maintaining a flame. Especially in the beginning, monitor the stock and skim it as foam rises to the top. While the foam is not dangerous per se, it makes the stock look cloudy at the end, so you are doing this purely for aesthetics. If the water line ever crosses below the solids in the pot, add more water until the solids are submerged by an inch and a half of water, but maintain proper clearance so the liquid never boils over.  

If you are in a hurry, leave the stock on the stove for no less than 2 hours before cooling, portioning, and storing (in the fridge for up to a week, in the freezer for up to 6 months). Ideally, though, a chicken stock should be left on the stove for 4 to 24 hours on as low heat as possible. Skim early and often; the later you wait to skim, the more flavor you will remove in addition to the scum.

At the end of the cooking time, discard the solids in the stock, strain it, and transfer it into a container large enough to hold all of it which has been placed in a plugged-up sink filled with ice water. Strain the stock carefully: the more clear the stock, generally, the better the quality. The ice water surrounding the stock’s new container will cool it quickly and safely.

Place some (clean) ice into the stock in its cooling container. Leave the ice-stock out to cool until it is cold enough to go into the refrigerator. The ice in the stock will melt into the stock, diluting it slightly, but, more importantly, will cause all the fat in the stock to rise to the top of that container in a giant disk of fat when left in the fridge for a long time, and it will chill it safely. Discard the fat. Collagen in the bones will have leached out and dissolved into the water; when heat is applied, collagen chemically changes into gelatin. If your stock looks like “meaty Jell-O” at this point in the process, until now, you have done everything well. Portion out your stock however you need to (in gallon/half-gallon/quart/pint/cup containers), and freeze what you do not need in resealable, airtight containers. Put what you will use immediately in the fridge, and use it within 3 days. Kept in a freezer in an airtight container, this stock will keep for up to 6 months.

Whenever you need your homemade stock, pull out a container and thaw and reheat its contents, most ideally in an appropriately sized saucepan. Once reheated, the gelatin in the stock will dissolve and the familiar liquid consistency will return. Only when you need the stock, add salt to the quantity of stock you are using immediately.

If you make this, be sure to leave a comment down below letting me know!