Golden Chicken Stock

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large stockpot (10-12 quart minimum)
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Cheesecloth (optional but recommended)
• •Large heatproof container for straining
• •Slotted spoon or spider strainer
• •Ladle

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the bones

   Rinse chicken pieces under cold water and place them in your largest stockpot. If using chicken feet, add them now. The feet contain enormous amounts of collagen that will transform your stock from watery liquid into something that sets firm as aspic when chilled. This is what we're after.

   Ask your butcher to save backs and necks for you. Most shops practically give them away. Chicken feet can be found at Asian markets or ordered from your butcher with advance notice.
2. 2

   Cover with cold water

   Add the cold water to the pot. Cold water is not negotiable. Hot water seizes proteins instantly, trapping impurities that cloud your stock permanently. Cold water extracts gelatin and flavor slowly, giving you time to skim impurities as they rise. The bones should be submerged by at least three inches.

3. 3

   Bring to a bare simmer

   Set the pot over medium heat and bring the water slowly toward a simmer. This should take thirty to forty minutes. As the temperature rises, gray foam and scum will collect on the surface. Skim it away patiently with a large spoon or fine-mesh skimmer. The foam starts gray and dirty. By the time the liquid reaches 180°F, the foam should appear white and fine. Keep skimming.

   Never let stock boil. A rolling boil emulsifies fat into the liquid and turns golden clarity into murky dishwater. Gentle bubbles rising every few seconds is your target.
4. 4

   Add the aromatics

   Once you've skimmed the stock clean, add the halved onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and leek. Push them down gently so they're mostly submerged. Add the peppercorns, thyme, parsley stems, bay leaves, and salt. The onion skins stay on deliberately. They contribute that gorgeous golden color that gives this stock its name.

5. 5

   Simmer low and slow

   Reduce heat until you see only the occasional lazy bubble breaking the surface. The French call this a frémissement, a shiver rather than a simmer. Maintain this bare movement for three to four hours, never covering the pot. Stock reduces as it cooks, concentrating flavor. A lid traps steam and prevents this essential reduction.

   The old kitchen wisdom holds true: a watched pot never boils, but an unwatched stock always does. Check every thirty minutes to ensure your heat hasn't crept up.
6. 6

   Test for body

   After three hours, dip a metal spoon into the stock and let it cool for a moment. Run your finger across the back of the spoon. If the stock feels slightly tacky and coats your finger, the gelatin has extracted properly. If it feels watery, continue simmering. The vegetables will look exhausted and pale, their flavor surrendered to the liquid. This is correct.

7. 7

   Strain carefully

   Remove the pot from heat. Lift out the large bones with tongs or a spider strainer and discard. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large container and line it with cheesecloth if you have it. Ladle the stock through gently. Do not press on the solids. Pressing forces cloudy particles through the strainer. Let gravity do the work.

   For crystal clarity, strain twice. The first pass through a regular strainer, the second through cheesecloth. Patience here pays dividends in every sauce you'll ever make.
8. 8

   Cool and degrease

   Transfer strained stock to a clean container and cool to room temperature on the counter for one hour, then refrigerate uncovered until thoroughly chilled, at least six hours or overnight. The fat will rise and solidify into a pale yellow cap. This cap actually protects the stock beneath it. Remove it only when you're ready to use or freeze the stock. Lift it off in pieces with a spoon.

9. 9

   Evaluate your work

   Properly made stock will jiggle like loose gelatin when you shake the container. This is the hallmark of honest stock, proof that you extracted every bit of goodness from those bones. The color should be deep gold, like amber honey held to sunlight. Taste it. Even unseasoned, it should taste profoundly of chicken, clean and savory.

Chef Tips

• •Roasting the bones before simmering creates brown stock rather than golden. Both have their place. Golden stock is more versatile, appropriate for cream sauces, delicate soups, and dishes where you want chicken flavor without the deeper roasted notes.
• •Never salt stock heavily during cooking. You'll reduce it for sauces later, concentrating whatever salt you've added. Season dishes made with stock, not the stock itself.
• •The fat cap that forms during chilling is schmaltz, rendered chicken fat. Save it in a separate container. It's magnificent for frying potatoes, making matzo balls, or starting a roux.
• •If your finished stock lacks body despite proper technique, reduce it by half over medium heat. This concentrates gelatin and flavor. Professional kitchens call this demi-glace territory.
• •Stock freezes beautifully for six months. Freeze in ice cube trays for small amounts, quart containers for soups, or silicone muffin molds for sauce-sized portions.

Advance Preparation

• •Stock keeps refrigerated for up to one week with the fat cap intact. Once you remove the fat, use within three days.
• •Freeze stock in various portion sizes: ice cube trays for deglazing pans, one-cup portions for sauces, quart containers for soups. Frozen stock keeps six months without quality loss.
• •For a stronger, more concentrated stock, reduce by half after straining. This concentrated stock, sometimes called glace de poulet, can be frozen in tablespoon portions and reconstituted with water as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)