Henrietta's Homemade Chicken Stock

There’s no comparison between supermarket boxed chicken stock and the real thing simmered slowly at home. This recipe is the bare-bones version (literally), built around two pounds of chicken bones, classic mirepoix vegetables, thyme, and a bay leaf in eight cups of water. Time and patience do the rest.

The 4-to-6-hour simmer is the part you can’t shortcut. The first hour pulls flavor from the meat scraps clinging to the bones; the next two extract gelatin from the bones themselves; the last hours concentrate everything into a stock that gels when chilled, the hallmark of properly made stock. Shorter cooks give you flavored water; longer ones give you stock with body.

Bringing the pot to a bare simmer (not a hard boil) is what keeps the finished stock clear instead of cloudy. Hard boiling agitates the bones and emulsifies fat into the liquid, which clouds it and makes it greasy. Steady tiny bubbles are the goal.

Skim the surface during the first 30 minutes. The grey foam that rises is protein and fat that would otherwise muddy the flavor and color. After the first half hour, very little new foam appears.

Strain through a fine sieve (or a strainer lined with cheesecloth for crystal-clear results) and either use immediately or cool quickly before refrigerating.

Pro Tips

• Don’t add salt during cooking. Stock is meant to be reduced or used in seasoned dishes; adding salt locks the salt level in.
• Save vegetable scraps in the freezer all week (carrot peels, celery tops, onion ends) and add them to the stock pot.
• For deeper flavor, roast the bones in a 425°F (220°C) oven for 30 minutes before adding to the pot. This gives you a darker brown stock.
• Cool stock quickly using an ice bath. Slowly cooling stock at room temperature can grow bacteria.

Variations

• Add a leek (white and light green parts) for a slightly sweeter, more aromatic stock.
• Toss in a few peppercorns and a sprig of parsley for classic French flavor.
• Use turkey bones (especially after Thanksgiving) for a richer, slightly gamier turkey stock with the same method.