Browning the chicken before you add the water gives this stock a beautiful amber color and a richness adding flavor to anything you use this stock in.  From soups to stews to pasta sauces there isn’t anything more tasty than home made chicken stock and it doesn’t take that much time to do.  When I know I’m going to be home working on recipes or the computer I put a pot on the stove and it’s ready when I’m finished with working. There really is no comparison to a boxed or canned stock with this homemade version. Just try it once…I promise you will be hooked.

 

ingredients

  • 4 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
  • 1 head of garlic cut in half
  • 2 shallots or 1 onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 ribs of celery
  • 4 springs of thyme
  • 4 sprigs of parsley
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 T Sous Salt Grey & Herb (but just about any salt will work in this recipe)
  • 6 whole peppercorns
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 8 c water

directions

Sprinkle the chicken thighs with the Sous Salt and put them skin side down in a cold 4 – 6 quart saucepan with the olive oil drizzled in it. Turn the pan on to medium and don’t touch the chicken until you can flip it easily.  If it sticks when you try to flip it….leave it alone…it’s not ready to flip. This should take about 4 – 6 minutes. This ensures the richness the browning will bring to the stock will be infused. Flip the thighs when they are ready and brown then on the other side approximately 4 – 6 minutes.  At this time add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan with the exception of the water. Let the vegetables simmer with the chicken for just a couple of minutes and now add the water. Bring it up to a gentle boil, skim off any bubbles that may form and let it simmer for 2 hours.

Drain the solids from the stock and it’s ready to go.  I take the chicken off the bone and use it in a salad, or in our Chicken Taquito recipe. The carrots that have been cooked in the stock I put in the dogs dinner that night. They love chicken stock day!

If you refrigerate the stock there will be a thin layer of heavenly chicken fat on top. This you can either throw away or use it to saute some vegetables or roast zoodled potatoes in!

Trust me you will love this stock.