Chicken Stock

He basis of a good soup is usually a good stock. Once you know how to make a good stock, you can use it for an almost endless variety of soups. This is a recipe  we use the chicken stock, easy to make, and tastes delicious. we usually make extra and freeze it, we do not use.

1 Whole chicken, about 3 pounds 

8 cups water 

2 carrots, cut into 2cm pieces 

2 stalks celery, cut into 2cm pieces 

1 medium onion, cut into large pieces 

2 cloves crushed garlic 

2-3 sprigs of parsley 

1-2 sprigs of sage 

2 sprigs of rosemary 

2 sprigs thyme (please, no Simon and Garfunkel jokes) 

2 tsp. salt

Cut the chicken into smaller pieces. 

Add chicken and remaining ingredients in a large kettle and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 3 hours. 

Remove chicken and place in a bowl to cool. 

Pour stock through a strainer lined with cheese cloth, and chill. 

When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin, and bones, and freeze or refrigerate chicken for another use. 

Skim the fat off of the stock and refrigerate, freeze or use immediately.

Yield: About 6 cups of stock, approximately 4 cups of chicken. 

Do not feel constrained by the ingredients and the amounts listed in this recipe. You can use other herbs for a second taste. You can add ginger peels and lemongrass for an Asian flavor. Just let your imagination run wild.

You do not need a whole chicken either. You can purchase bone-in chicken breasts and remove the bones before cooking. Then just put the bones in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer. So when you're ready to take stock, just take the bones out and use them in stock.

Once you've learned to make this chicken stock, you can use it as the basis for many different soups ... chicken noodle soup, cream of chicken soup, peanut butter  soup ... again, let your imagination run wild with it and enjoy!