Don’t throw out those chicken bones. I roast them golden with onions and herbs first, then let the pot go low and slow. Six hours makes good stock. Twenty hours or more makes great stock.
Roast1 hrat 400 to 425°F
Simmer6 hr minimum20+ hours preferred
Keeps3 monthsfrozen
Ingredients
Roasted bones
- Bones from 1 or 2 chickens or rotisserie chickens (turkey works too)
- 2 Tbsp oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 or 2 onions, quartered
- About 1 tsp each: garlic powder, dried thyme, rosemary and savory
Stock pot
- Water to cover, about 12 to 16 cups
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery (optional, I skip it)
- 1 cob corn or 1 cup kernels
- Any veggie scraps you like
- 1 bay leaf and about 10 peppercorns
Method
- Heat the oven to 400 to 425°F. Put the bones in a disposable foil pan and toss them with the oil, salt, pepper, onions, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary and savory.
- Roast about 1 hour, checking every 15 to 20 minutes, until everything is golden brown all over.
- Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Add the roasted bones, onions and any pan drippings, plus the carrots, celery, corn, bay leaf and peppercorns.
- Turn it down to a gentle simmer and partly cover. Simmer at least 6 hours, and 20 hours or more if you can. Top up with water so the bones stay covered.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids.
- Cool it quickly in smaller containers, refrigerate, and skim the fat off the top once it sets.
Long simmers: For 20 hours or more, a slow cooker on low is safer than leaving the stove on overnight.
Storage: Keeps 4 to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Save carcasses in a freezer bag until you have enough.
Adapted from Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Stock at Garlic and Zest, with my roasting method and long simmer.
