Basic Chicken or Turkey Stock

Making stock from the leftover bones from a roast will ensure you always have a good base for soups, risottos and gravies. Making stocks at home really help us get the most from our meat joint and are a great alternative to stock cubes and powders or the fresh stocks you find in the chiller cabinets of supermarkets. Even if you don’t have time to make stock, freeze the bones from the roast bird and make the stock when you have more time.

By Caroline Marson
Cookery advisor

All recipes by Caroline Marson

Ingredients

Makes approx 1.2 litres

  • Chicken or turkey carcass
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Few sprigs of thyme
  • Parsley and a small bayleaf
  • 1 teaspoon of Black peppercorns

Instructions

  1. Put the bones into a large saucepan and cover with water. Add an onion cut into four (including skin), chopped carrots (skin scrubbed), garlic clove, and a celery stalk chopped in half. Sprinkle in black peppercorns and thyme, parsley and bayleaf.
  2. Bring up to the boil and remove the scum from the surface with a large spoon, turn down the heat and simmer for 1½ – 2 hours.
  3. Cool a little, strain and leave to cool. The fat can be removed from the surface by drawing absorbent kitchen paper over it.
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Comments on this recipe

  • Jill Lewis

    No need to boil/simmer for hours, I simply place all ingredients in a large glass bowl, cover with a dinner plate and cook on high in the microwave for 15 minutes...

    Posted on 18 Feb 2008 at 13:21
  • Phyllis Cameron

    If you add a large dash of vinegar to the pot during the simmer time the vinegar will leach the minerals (like calcium) out of the bones for a much healthier stock. I like the taste of a bit of vinegar in my stock but if you don't just leave off the lid for the last 15 minutes and the vinegar taste/smell will evaporate.

    Posted on 28 Apr 2008 at 23:43

Comments on this recipe