Cheap Chicken Stock

I never buy chicken stock. It's way too expensive, and usually full of sodium. The common misconception is that you have to boil a whole chicken or a large portion of meat to achieve a flavorful stock. Who has the money to waste perfectly good meat to make stock? Not me.

Poultry prices seem to fluctuate a lot, at least around here. I always grab a whole chicken when I can get one for a good price. (Roasted chicken recipe coming soon) Bonus if it comes with the neck and gizzards still intact. I like the whole chicken instead of individual pieces, because I can salvage the unwanted parts for the stock.

I break down the chicken into two breasts with wings attached (wing tips cut off) and two legs. If you don't know how to do this, the internet is full of how-tos. If you have a good knife, it's much easier than you would think. I apply the four parts to whatever recipe I'm using.

I toss the chicken back, gizzards, neck, and wing tips into the stock pot, a long with any leftover bones and skin from the cooked chicken pieces. I also add a halved onion, 1 or 2 large carrots, and a celery stalk if I have one lying around. I fill the pot with water until my ingredients are completely submerged, and then simmer for about two hours.

Then, I remove all solid material with a wire strainer. I transfer it to the fridge and let it cool for a few hours, until the fat separates and solidifies at the top, then I can easily spoon it off.

I return the stock to the stove and cook it at a low boil until it reduces down to a small enough volume to fit in the ice cube tray I have reserved for this purpose. (measure with water first, then you can just use your liquid measuring cup to check your progress). When the reduced stock comes to room temperature, I pour it into the tray and freeze it. I then transfer the stock cubes into a freezer bag for easier access.

Now, any time I want to make rice, I can just grab a stock cube out of the freezer and toss it in. I find that one cube is usually sufficient for one recipe of rice or whatever else I'm using it for. Of course, your results will vary depending on the size of your tray.

Never throw chicken parts away again! Sometimes I stock pile :) bones and/or gizzards in the freezer until I have enough to make stock.