Have you ever left a restaurant and said, ‘I can’t put my finger on it, but something in that dish gave it an extra burst of flavor”? Here at Culinaria, that ‘something’ is our homemade chicken stock. It adds a rich flavor to our foods and enhances each and every bite.
How do you make it? Our first tip is to always save your leftover vegetables and chicken parts in a container. All of these can be thrown into your chicken stock pot. Second, when you go to make your stock, feel free to grab vegetables or herbs that are starting to go bad, such as onions or parsley. These items will still contribute and enrich the flavor of the stock.
- 1 part chicken
- 1 part vegetables
Ratio of vegetables:
- 4 parts onion
- 2 parts carrot
- 1 part celery
Chicken add-ins:
- Gizzards
- Wings
- Flippers
- Carcass
**Tip: Cut off any large pieces of fat from the chicken parts before throwing into the pot.
- 1 cup mushroom stems – add directly in, stems included
- 1 bunch of parsley stems – add directly in, stems included
- 1 bunch of fresh thyme – add directly in, stems included
- 1 head of garlic – separate cloves and throw everything in, skin included
- 2 leeks – if frozen, rinse under cold water, pull leaves apart, clean, and strain. Cut all leaves into thirds.
- 2 bay leaves – add directly in, stems included
- 2 TBSP black peppercorns
Here at Culinaria, we make chicken stock in bulk, about 4 gallons at a time. We let the stock simmer overnight, but if you are making this at home in a smaller pot, let the stock simmer on the stove for approximately 4 – 6 hours. The longer it simmers, the stronger the stock.
After the chicken stock has simmered, allow it to cool overnight in the refrigerator. You will know it is cooled when all the fat comes to the top and solidifies. Skimming the fat off of the top makes chicken stock particularly low in fat and calorie content.
Keep your chicken stock in the refrigerator if you plan to use it within the next few days. You can also freeze the chicken stock if you want it to keep for longer.
Our chefs use chicken stock is many of their delectable recipes. Try out this Scallopini of Chicken with Sage and Bay Leaves recipe from one of our chefs. It is incredibly easy, packed with nutrients, and utterly delicious!
Recipe: Scallopini of Chicken with Sage & Bay Leaves
Serves 4
2 8 oz. chicken breasts, boneless and skinless 6 TBSP. butter 12 – – – sage leaves 1 sm. shallot, finely chopped ½ cup white wine 1 med. clove of garlic, finely chopped 2 – – – bay leaves ½ cup chicken stock - – – – – – salt and pepper, to taste- Preheat the oven to 250 ˚F.
- Wash and pat dry the chicken. Place the chicken on the cutting board and slice in half lengthwise. Then place it between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound it into about ¼-inch thickness; place on a sheet tray. Continue the process until all the chicken is done.
- Place a large sauté pan on a burner over medium-high heat. Add 3 TBSP. of butter. Let the butter completely melt. Add the sage and fry until crisp; remove. Set to drain on paper towels. While the sage leaves are still hot season them with a little salt.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken in the hot pan and cook until nicely browned. Flip over and cook the other side until nicely browned. Place them on a sheet tray and put into the oven to keep warm.
- In the same pan add the shallots, white wine, garlic and bay leaves and cook until the wine has reduced by half.
- Add the chicken stock and any juices from the sheet tray. Cook until reduced by half. Remove the sauce from the heat and remove the bay leaves. Stir in the remaining butter a little at a time.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and toss to coat. Place 2 or 3 crispy sage leaves on top to garnish and serve.
