Chicken Stock
Real Food-By Leslie Smoot from Real Foods Market
4 lbs chicken parts, (neck, bones and wings) 2 small onions, chopped 4 carrots, peeled and chopped 4 celery sticks, chopped 2 T. vinegar 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 8 peppercorns 2 gal. cold filtered water 2 bay leaves 1 bunch parsley and thyme
makes 5 quarts (you can cut this recipe in half if you have a smaller pot)
Place chicken parts with remaining ingredients and water in 12-quart stockpot. Slowly bring the broth to a boil and remove any scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat to the lowest point so the broth just barely simmers. Cover and simmer for 6 to 24 hours. *You can simply use a crock-pot and set it on low.
Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon. Strain the stock into a large bowl or pot and set the solids aside. Once the stock is cool, you can transfer into your container of choice and place it in the freezer. If you want to make more stock, you can re-use the bones, add the fresh ingredients and do it again.
h I like to make three batches of stock with the bones. It will still create a nourishing broth. The chicken stock should be refrigerated and used within 2 to 3 days or it can be frozen for up to 3 months. Tips: The water should be cold, because slow heating helps bring out flavors. Add vinegar to the broth to help extract calcium from the bones (think about those egg shells you soaked in vinegar until they turned rubbery). You can also break the bones to allow the healing marrow to become part of the broth. Remove the scum, as this is a collection of impurities and it will ruin the broth with strange flavors. Remember that the longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be.
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