Recipe

March 14, 2019

Ultimate Chicken Stock

Recipe: Eshun Mott

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 1/2 hours

This dish borrows the technique of charring onions and carrots under the broiler sometimes used in Asian and Mexican cooking. Dried shiitake mushrooms are added to produce a slightly darker, richer stock. Once the poached chicken meat is picked from the bones, save it in the refrigerator for up to four days for use in soups, pastas or sandwiches.

Ingredients

  • 1 1⁄2 cooking onions, skin on, halved through middle
  • 2 carrots, cut into 2″ lengths
  • 3–4 lbs. whole chicken (ideally organic)
  • 2 stalks celery with tops on, halved
  • 1 leek top, rinsed
  • 5 large Italian parsley stems (remove leaves, as they can make stock bitter)
  • 6 dried shiitake mushrooms (often called black, flower or winter mushrooms)
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 12 cups cold water (or enough water to cover chicken)

Directions

Yield: Makes approx. 8 cups

Char Onions And Carrots

  1. Preheat broiler on high.
  2. Place onions and carrots on baking sheet cut-side up and broil (as close to element as possible) for 15 minutes, or until they’re deeply browned and slightly burnt in places. Transfer onions and carrots to large stockpot.

Assemble And Cook Stock

  1. Add chicken, celery, leek top, parsley stems, mushrooms, peppercorns and water to stockpot with onions and carrots.
  2. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and cook gently (small bubbles should break surface) for 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. An instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken thigh (but not touching bone) should read 165°F.

Remove Chicken

  1. Remove chicken from pot and place in bowl. Let cool until it can be handled.
  2. Strip meat from bones by hand. Refrigerate for future use.

Finish Stock

  1. Return bones to stockpot, bring to a boil, then turn heat down to medium-low and simmer gently for 1 more hour, or until stock is rich and flavorful.
  2. With fine strainer, strain stock and discard solids. Chill, then skim off solidified fat on surface. Store in refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or freezer for 4 to 6 months to use as base for soups, stews and sauces.
Author: Eshun Mott
Photographer:

Stacey Brandford

Source:

House & Home February 2019

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