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Basic Chicken Stock Recipe

Daniel Gritzer
Published: Last Updated:
Basic Chicken Stock Recipe

Different cuts of chicken produce broths of different colors, but don't let the appearance fool you! [Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

White chicken stock, in which neither the chicken nor the aromatics are roasted first, may be the most versatile of all stocks. It's also incredibly easy to make, leading to a deeply flavorful stock, using a method and ingredients that are as easy and accessible as possible. Requiring a minimal investment of time and effort, this stock will upgrade any dish or sauce you make much more reliably than the store-bought variety.

Why It Works

  • Diced aromatics infuse more flavor into the broth than the larger pieces often used in stock.
  • Unflavored gelatin improves the body of stocks made with parts of the chicken that are less collagen-rich.
  • Keeping the stock at a very gentle simmer eliminates the need for skimming: Just fine-strain when the stock is done, and the quality won't be compromised.

Read more: How to Make the Best Chicken Stock

  • Yield:Makes about 3 quarts (2.8L)
  • Active time: 15 minutes
  • Total time:1 hour 45 minutes, excluding chilling time
  • Rated: 5

Ingredients

  • 4 to 8 pounds (1.8 to 3.6kg) chicken parts, such as wings, bones, breasts, and legs (see note)
  • 4 quarts (3.8L) water
  • 2 large yellow onions, diced
  • 4 large carrots, diced
  • 4 large celery ribs, diced
  • 8 crushed medium cloves garlic
  • 2 large sprigs parsley (see note)
  • 2 packets unflavored gelatin, dissolved in 1/2 cup (120ml) cold water (optional; see note)

Directions

  1. 1.

    Combine chicken, water, onions, celery, garlic, and parsley in a large stockpot and bring to a simmer over low heat. Lower heat, maintaining a very gentle simmer, and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes. Strain stock through a fine-mesh strainer, let cool, then transfer to containers and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 6 hours. Skim off and remove any fat and scum on the surface. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months. If stock is thin even after being fully refrigerated, add optional gelatin solution to stock and bring to a boil until fully dissolved, then refrigerate or freeze.

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How to Make the Best Chicken Stock
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Daniel Gritzer Culinary Director

Daniel cooked for years in some of New York's top American, Italian and French restaurants - starting at the age of 13, when he began staging at the legendary restaurant Chanterelle. He spent nearly a year working on organic farms in Europe, where he harvested almonds and Padron peppers in Spain, shepherded a flock of more than 200 sheep in Italy, and made charcuterie in France. When not working on, thinking about, cooking and eating food, he blows off steam (and calories) as an instructor of capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art.

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