Peter’s Essential Chicken Stock

This is the basic stock I’ve been using for decades. It’s delicious as is for all your soups, sauces and braises, but for a bit more depth of flavor consider adding in any of my add-in’s. There’s plenty of room for creativity here—just remember to use any add-in’s somewhat judiciously as you don’t want to throw off the flavor balance. Add-In’s should enhance the stock, not become the dominant flavor.

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Approximately 6 quarts

INGREDIENTS

4 lbs roasted or raw chicken carcasses and/or bones
6-7 quarts of water
2 onions, unpeeled and cut in half
1 head of garlic, unpeeled and sliced in half crosswise
3-4 carrots unpeeled and cut into thirds
3-4 celery stalks, cut into thirds
1 tbsp pepper corns
2-3 tsp kosher salt
1-2 bay leaves
10-12 sprigs thyme
15-20 sprigs parsley
10-12 sprigs dill
Veggie Add-Ins: carrot tops, leeks, shallots, parsnips, ginger, scallions, fennel, apple, tomatoes 
Spice Add-Ins: coriander seed, star anise, turmeric, fennel seed
Umami Add Ins:  parmesan rinds, kombu, nori sheets, a splash of soy sauce, dried or fresh mushrooms, miso, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, nutritional yeast

METHOD

Add all ingredients into a 16-20 quart stock pot. Add more water to cover all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, for 4-6 hours. Let cool completely. Use a spider or a large, slotted spoon to transfer solids to a bowl. Strain remaining stock through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. If there is any remaining stock in the bowl with the large solids, strain that as well.

Pour stock into quart containers, wide-mouth mason jars or freeze in muffin tins—then, store in ziplock bags. Label and date, then store and freeze up to 6 months.