Making Chicken Stock

[237SJ]

Last month I decided to make chicken stock from a carcass and followed the recipe which had the usual additives (carrot, celery etc). I reduced it down and it turned out like jelly so I threw it away. Someone has now told me that it should be like that. Is that right?

[mazie]

Yes

[Mamyalynne]

Yes

[woofgang]

yes when its cold, the good stuff will set to a jelly which is delicious on bread with a sprinkling of salt. You can use it for cooking too of course.

[janbee]

I believe so

[ummmm]

Yes.

It's the bones that make it jellyfied. Once heated it melts.

[diddlydo]

Yes, it should be jellied when cold!

[ummmm]

So you've thrown out really good stock :-)

[237SJ]

Yes - it looks like it! It took my Vietnamese hairdresser who hardly every cooks Western food to tell me that I`ve messed-up. My mother has told me she has a chicken carcass in her fridge so I`ll have another go and keep the result this time. Thanks for the replies.

[Clanad]

Just a note, SJ...while I wouldn't impose on your current recipe, I would ask that you assure a 1:1 ratio in volume of chicken to water. Additionally, if you have the whole carcass then remove the wings, thighs and drumsticks from the carcass and with a mallet used for tenerizing steaks break some of the bones... excellent for flavor and adding, as already mentioned, appropriate gelatinous consitency for flavor.

Additionally, we like to put the pieces and parts in a foil lined baking pan and place it under a broiler in our oven for about 30 to 40 minutes until they are nicely browned... adds a great note to the flavor. We also like several sprigs of fresh Rosemary to round it off, but I recognize that's a preference not shared by all.

Lastly, in your next go at cultivating stock, see if your Vietnamese friend could save you 4 chicken feet. They like to use them in many dishes and we have an Oriental friend like that that said they really do wonders for the stock as far as flavor and getting just the right texture. They're cleaned and ready to go right in the pot. Just pour everything through a colander before storing... (takes out the tough toe nails, dontch'a know?).

Best of luck!

[237SJ]

Clanad - I think I might give the toe nails a miss! My Vietnamese friend shops in the local supermarkets here so I`m not sure whether she is that partial to chicken's feet. This is how I did it (as far as I can remember) http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chickenstock_1294 I had seen some pictures of the finished product on other sites and they just looked like jars of liquid so I didn`t realise that I would end up with a pan of jelly.

[shoota]

It liquefies again when you reheat it to use it. The firmer and more gelatinous it is, the better it is.

[DTCwordfan]

yep - just done one and in went the fridge too, onions, carrots, mush, flat parsley, thyme, parsnips and the chicken carcass. Five hours of gentle simmering and then left overnight.

Strained this morning, barley added, a slow nurdle and more of the flaked off chicken I had held back, a lovely soup and one that has taken on more veg like peas and french beans this evening, ready for bread rolls and more soup for tomorrow lunch!

[237SJ]

I`m going to use mine for gravy to go with a chicken at some point in the future. I just have to sit here for 3 hours now, waiting for it to cook. I can see why OXO cubes are so popular!

[DTCwordfan]

Hey, it's one of those dishes you can let nurdle away for three, four, five hours whilst you do other things and, believe me, far better tasting than Oxo and the like. Great for sauces, risottos and all the rest, freezes well too....old ice cream containers for example as receptacles.

[woofgang]

another slow cooker bonus, sling it all in and leave it all day.