I know it’s crazy but I did it anyway: I searched the internet for homemade chicken stock recipes. I don’t know why I did this, because I really am quite capable of covering a carcass with some water and simmering for a lengthy period of time. Heck, I even knew that tossing in some veggies and herbs would be a good idea.
But I wanted to get an idea of ratio and technique, so I searched to find the perfect homemade chicken stock recipe. Why? I’ve been roasting a lot of chickens lately and it seemed a good idea to save money by making my own healthy organic chicken stock, to freeze for future use.
First I tried Alton Brown’s recipe for chicken stock. I was immediately surprised by the length of time he recommended — simmering uncovered for 6-8 hours, adding more water as needed. My stock was good, but definitely didn’t have the flavor I was hoping for, which I think was due to not covering and adding more, unflavored water to the mix.
In my internet travels, I stumbled upon a recipe for homemade chicken stock in the slow cooker. Now why didn’t I think of that? It would seemingly solve the two problems I hypothesized were wrong with my first batch — the covering and the adding more water — so I went for it. Perfect!
Usually Alton Brown’s got the science of a recipe down-pat, but in this case he missed the mark. My slow cooker broth turned out rich and flavorful and a much darker color than his recipe yielded. I still think you can make great chicken stock on the stovetop, but if I tried it again, I’d put the cover on my pot and not add any water.
But really — why would I? The slow cooker is so low-maintenance. No watching is necessary, and when the timer goes off, you’ve got homemade chicken stock. It couldn’t be easier and I ended up with 3-4 quarts … I just saved myself eight bucks, baby — a perfectly good head of lettuce.
Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Mar 25, 2010 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
