"The Virtues of Frugality" Part 1

So we just got back from the grocery and as usual found some great deals! One of those being a "Red Bird" organic, free-range whole chicken marked down a couple of bucks for "quick sale". This is a Colorado company that seems to be somewhat ethical in their business philosophies although I think they could still certainly be considered a "factory farm". I definitely don't advocate for buying anything but the freshest poultry available...but, when making a Chicken Stock I think it is an economical option.

Making stock is incredibly rewarding in terms of utilizing would-be kitchen "scraps" to create a wonderful flavoring base. Many of those items that are sitting in the produce drawers of your fridge are fine fodder for a stock. I also like to freeze random cuts of inexpensive meats, giblets and trimmings for later stock-making. Onion peels, the root ends of celery, garlic skin, the list of possible ingredients goes on and on. Things to avoid include produce with a high water content, bitter, astringent and acidic items. Roasting ingredients (especially meats) before adding them to the stock pot will intensify and add depth to the flavor of the finished product.

I decided to take an Asian direction with this stock. In addition to the whole bird I am adding fresh ginger, galangal, lemongrass, shallot, carrot and garlic. The reason I am using the whole bird in lieu of a freshly butchered or roasted carcass is that I will be poaching the meat which will later be added back into a soup. Start with a good sized, heavy bottom pot. Add all of your ingredients and cover with COLD water. Put the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Adjust the temperature to maintain this gently simmer. Two rules: Do not boil the stock and NEVER STIR it! Both of these actions will cause particles of your ingredients to break up and result in a stock that is not clear.

The length of time your stock cooks will determine the concentration of flavor of the finished product. Let's say you should at least cook it a couple of hours and often times I will put it on at night on a really low setting and take it off first thing in the morning. In the professional kitchen it is not uncommon to have huge pots of stock simmering away overnight for the next day's use.

Here is the stock after a couple of hours. At this point the chicken is sufficiently done and the richness of the stock is evident in it's color (and flavor). If using bones, trimmings or other meats that you don't plan on utilizing later you could certainly let it keep cooking. Now it is time to strain the stock. Use a mesh strainer to separate the liquid from the solids. If you want an even clearer stock line the strainer with a double thickness of cheese cloth. Just be careful to not disturb the solids too much as you strain.

I like to strain the liquid into a large mixing bowl that can be placed uncovered in the refrigerator to allow it to cool. The fats in the stock will rise to the top and solidify. When completely chilled they can be removed with a slotted spoon. At this point I transfer the stock to a plastic pitcher with a lid or into gallon freezer bags to freeze for later use.

Good Meat Stock Ingredients: Bones, Meat Trimmings, Carrot, Celery, Onion, Garlic, Leeks, Parsnips, Parsley Stems, Bay Leaves, Peppercorns, Fresh Herbs

A good Vegetable Sock can be made with the veggies listed above and will be especially rich if those veggies are roasted first. Vegetable stock can also benefit from the addition of other flavoring agents such as Soy based sauces, Nutritional Yeast and Tomato Paste.

The stock that I made will be used for an Asian Chicken Soup with Bok Choy, recipe to follow.....