Marianne Huntley from Leeds said:
Life is so busy these days that people don't feel they have the time to cook things from scratch. People have... More
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 helps 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.
Ingredients
Makes approx 1.2 litres
- Chicken or turkey carcass
- 1 onion, cut into 4 (including skin)
- A couple of carrots (skin scrubbed)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 celery stick, chopped n half
- 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns
Black peppercorns
Best used as a condiment.
They can be lightly crushed and used to spice up a creamy sauce or to coat fillet steak or chicken breasts.- Although it might seem odd, grinding black pepper over a bowl of strawberries enhances the flavour of the fruit.
- Pepper that is pre-ground is not fresh tasting and often has other ingredients mixed in.
- Choose the type of mill that suits you, and if you want coarser pepper you can loosen the screw on the top of the mill or crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar
- Few sprigs of thyme
- Parsley and a small bayleaf
Instructions
- Put the carcass into a large saucepan and cover with water. Add onion, chopped carrots, garlic clove and celery. Sprinkle in black peppercorns, thyme, parsley and bayleaf.
- 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.
- Cool a little, strain and leave to cool. The vegetables can be kept to use in a soup. The fat can be removed from the surface by drawing absorbent kitchen paper over it.
Comments on this recipe
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...
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.
Once made and strained return to the pan and reduce by half to make it double strength, allow to cool place into icecube trays and freeze. Use one or two added to casseroles or soups to enhance the flavor.
Try this recipe with pearl barley and lentils cook in a pressure cooker it makes a lovely stock with lots of chunky veg and add dumplings to the end of cooking time cook them for about 20 mins with a loose cover on pan.
Comments on this recipe