Chicken stock

Remember that chicken carcass that I reserved the other day when I cut up a whole chicken? Well, now it's time to put it to use to make up some stock. I use this stock as a base for my mum's lentil soup recipe.

Place the carcass and any leftover bits into a stock pot and cover with water.
Add 1 tablespoon peppercorns, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 large bay leaf. Bring to the boil, turn down and simmer for 1 hour. Remove carcass and leave to cool in a bowl. Give the stock a first strain through a wire sieve and return the liquid to the pot.

Add all your veggie scraps (carrot, onion and garlic odds and ends even peelings, and anything else you have been saving along with any herbs you may have (parsley or thyme or rosemary). Bring back to the boil and then turn down again and simmer 40minutes. Turn off and leave to cool for about 30 min.

Strain again through a sieve. Then restrain through cheese cloth, squeezing out the juices. Place into a container and when cooled down somewhat place in the fridge overnight. Next day skim fat off the surface. Use up or freeze. I end up with about 4litres from 2 chickens.

Now, with that carcass pick through it and get as much chicken off the bones as you can. I usally end up with 2-3 cups, depending on how many carcasses I started with. Next entry I will post up the mexican chicken recipe that I make with these chicken bits and pieces.