Thoughtless Thursday: Crock Pot Chicken Stock

This week for Thoughtless Thursday we’re going back to basics: Homemade Chicken Stock.  This is one of the world’s easiest things to do and it will make a huge difference in the flavor of any recipe you’ve got that calls for chicken stock or broth.  I made a post on this before in the context of batch cooking, talking about how to make it on the stovetop.  This is even easier.  Look at that.  Have you ever gotten stock that rich looking out of a box?  I didn’t think so.  My favorite thing to do with this homemade stock is to freeze it in ice cube trays and then transfer to a gallon freezer bag.  Approximately 10 cubes = 1 cup of stock.  And then I always have it on hand for cooking.

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken carcass (I either use the leftover one when I roast a chicken or save the carcass from one of those rotisserie numbers from the grocery store)
  • 1 onion, sliced in half
  • 1 carrot, rough chopped into chunks
  • 3 stalks celery (this is a great use if you’ve got some wilty celery that isn’t BAD but doesn’t have that nice crunch)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • salt
  • fresh ground pepper

Directions:

  1. Nice and simple.  Dump it all in the crock pot, cover within a half inch of the top with water, and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 12.
  2. Place a colander over a bowl large enough to hold the stock and strain out the carcass and vegetables.
  3. Chill overnight.
  4. In the morning, skim the congealed fat off of the top.
  5. Either refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze.

As I still have not received more round up entries, I am questioning the sense of beginning such a Roundup in the summer when people more normally use their crock pots for things like soups, chili,and stews, which are winter foods.  C’est la vie.  I will keep plugging away and eventually they will come.

One thought on “Thoughtless Thursday: Crock Pot Chicken Stock

  1. Crock pots are great for home picnics with lotsa people. Make your own sloppy joes, instant casserole style pot-luck food.

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