Making broth out of the chicken carcass?

[christianmomof3]

I roasted a chicken and am boiling the bones to make broth.
How long do I boil em?
Any good seasoning?
I have no idea what I am doing.
Thanks

 

[VeraBlue]

Chop some tomatoes, carrots, onions, celery and garlic cloves. Big, ugly pieces are fine, you're not going to eat them. Heat a good size stock pot and drizzle 1/4 cup olive oil into the hot pot. Cook the vegetables with a teaspoon of thyme about 8-10 minutes till they begin to carmelize. Deglaze the hot pan with about 1/2 cup sherry. (you could omit this, but why why why). Then, add about a gallon to a gallon and a half of water to the pot, along with the bones, and simmer gently for 2 hours. S&P to taste, at the end. Strain throuh a fine mesh strainer.

 

[christianmomof3]

oh, that sounds yummy. I just chopped up 1/4 onion, a carrot and a celery stalk and threw those in along with some parsley stems and about 5 peppercorns. I put in the juice leftover from roasting the chicken already and I had put some Marsala wine in and on the chicken, so that is in the roasting juices that are in there.
I will try what you said next time.
It is already late - and it smells so yummy cooking . I will let it cook until I go to bed I guess.
Garlic sounds good - I will go toss in some of that.

 

[sattie]

I echo VeraBlue... I save all my chicken carcasses and do exactly that. I brown the carcass a bit, then add the veggies and water, boil for a while and then strain and pour into a vessle and chill. Chilling will allow the grease to float to the top and harden, then you can scrape it off. I pour it into baggies, 1 cup and lay flat and freeze. I use a shoe box to organize it all... beef, then chicken, then veggie stock. It is very versatile... don't be afraid to experiment!!!

 

[VeraBlue]

oh, that sounds yummy. I just chopped up 1/4 onion, a carrot and a celery stalk and threw those in along with some parsley stems and about 5 peppercorns. I put in the juice leftover from roasting the chicken already and I had put some Marsala wine in and on the chicken, so that is in the roasting juices that are in there.
I will try what you said next time.
It is already late - and it smells so yummy cooking . I will let it cook until I go to bed I guess.
Garlic sounds good - I will go toss in some of that.

Sounds good..but avoid parsely stems, opting for the leaves, instead. The stems are bitter.

 

[licia]

A gallon to a gallon and a half of water? was that a humongous chicken? I usually just add water to cover the carcass by about 2 inches and cook on low for about 30 minutes to an hour. I then strain the stock and put in freezer containers. I can flavor it to go with whatever I choose when I use it.

 

[VeraBlue]

A gallon to a gallon and a half of water? was that a humongous chicken? I usually just add water to cover the carcass by about 2 inches and cook on low for about 30 minutes to an hour. I then strain the stock and put in freezer containers. I can flavor it to go with whatever I choose when I use it.

If you are happy with your results, wonderful.

 

[Sararwelch]

My CIA Professional Chef book says 8lbs of chicken bones for 1 gallon of water, carrots onions and celery, salt and herbs. Simmer for 4 to 6 hours.

 

[jennyema]

Just to highlight what others have said -- simmer gently, don't boil.

 

[Vyshtia]

I think I remember an Alton Brown show where he said to add the chicken carcass to cold water and allow the whole thing to rise to temperature together. He explained that if you put the carcass directly into boiling water, it would shock the bones and all the pores would close up - resulting in less "release" into the water.

Does this sound right? In my brain, I would think it doesn't matter because you're going to be simmering it for so long (1-2 hrs) that even if the pores closed up at first, the entirety of it should weaken being in the simmering water and anything that is going to fall apart/release will.

Your thoughts?

 

[GB]

I saw that show too Vyshtia and something about his logic did not make much sense to me either. I do start with cold water, but I also split my bones to make it easier for stuff to flow out.

 

[jennyema]

I recall that too, sort of. But I thought the cold water was to reduce scum?

 

[GB]

What Alton said what that the bones are porous and if you put them in cold water then the cologen (sp?) will seal up the holes too fast as soon as it hits the water.

 

[Nicholas Mosher]

I "simmer" (actually just under a simmer) rather than boil.
I like 8-10lbs of bones per gallon, so I wouldn't use any more than four cups of water for a 2lb pile of carcasses/wings. I try to keep a gallon of both standard and roasted (brown) chicken stock on hand, along with brown veal stock and fish stock. Those four stocks work with 90+% of the dishes I cook.

Lately I've been cooking some non-western dishes, and have been making my chicken and veal stocks with just bones and water (leaving out the herbs and aromatics). Then I tailor the stocks for the dishes I use by simmering the aromatics I want to infuse the broth with as I prepare my mise en place for the rest of the dish.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

At somewhere around 180 to 190 degrees, the collagen and connecting tissues begin to melt and dissolve into the liquid (water). Teh bones should be split to allow the marrow and its nutrients to also be extracted into the broth. Celery is slightly acidic and will help this process. A good meat stock will have a certain viscosity to it due to the dissolved collagen (the stuff they make gelatine from). The stock will be rich in flavor and nutrients. Like others have said, I refridgerate my stock to let the fat rise to the top and harden. I then lift it off and discard it. Teh stock is gelled by this time and resembles a meat-flavored gellatine. When heated, it again turns liquid.

It isn't well known, but if you brown ground beef with the lid on, you can pour off the resultant juices and get a great beef stock due to the high amount of connecting tissue in the ground beef. Just chill and remove the fat. Use it as you would any other beef stock. It has a wonderful flavor. After removing the liquid, add a bit of salt and continue browning the meat until it develops the color you want.

Stocks not only taste great, but are high in nutritional value. They make great soups, and are the bases for many great small sauses and gravies.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[christianmomof3]

Thank you all for your great replies! I am making gumbo later - will the stock work for that? The recipe I have for the gumbo calls for water and beef bullion cubes.

 

[Andy M.]

It will work as long as you don't mind replacing beef stock with chicken stock.

 

[GB]

Personally, I would have no problem using the chicken stock you are making in your gumbo. I think that would taste just fine.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Nix the beef bouillon... if you are making gumbo!
Just go with the chicken and maybe some andouille sausage..Or subsitute the very best other smoked sausage you can buy!

 

[VeraBlue]

I want gumbo.