Dark Chicken Stock

Also, check out Taste Test Tuesday for the difference between stock/broth and white stock/dark stock.

Ingredients:
4-6 tbsp of canola oil
chicken bones
onions
leeks
celery ribs
carrots
1-2 heads of garlic
1-3 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 -3/4 cup dry white wine

Refer to White Chicken Stock for ingredient amounts.

Preheat the oven to 425º degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat a roasting pan with 2 tablespoons of the oil and lay the fresh bones in a single layer (I used bones from a chicken that had already been cooked but fresh bones are better). Place into the oven to caramelize.

Meanwhile, wash and roughly chop all of the mirepoix (carrots, onions, leeks, celery, garlic) into 1 inch pieces. Keep the leeks separate, as they will be added a bit later. Cut the garlic in half horizontally.

For easy clean up, line a baking tray with foil all the way up the sides. Add about 1tablespoon of oil and the mirepoix. Add another tablespoon of oil over top and toss to coat. Place into the oven for about 30 minutes.

Check the bones after about 40 minutes or so. If they’re golden brown, turn them over and place them back into the oven to caramelize on the other side. Toss the vegetables occasionally to ensure they are cooking evenly.

Now, add the leeks, toss again and place back into the oven. Once the mirepoix is done, push it towards the center of the foil, being careful not to tear it.

Next, heat a stock pot to medium and add the rest of the oil (about 2 tablespoons). Transfer the mirepoix to the pot and add the tomato paste. Cook for about a minute or so, turn off the heat and set aside while you check on the bones. Once the bones are nicely caramelized, add them to the stock pot.

Carefully drain the excess fat from the roasting pan. Place the pan onto the stove top and turn the heat to medium-high. Deglaze with the white wine. Once the wine has reduced, scrape the bottom and pour everything into the stock pot. Cover with enough cold water to cover everything by 2 inches. Refer to White Chicken Stock and follow the directions for finishing the stock. The only difference is that you will want to simmer it for at least 6 hours and up to 10 hours before adding the bouquet garni (bay leaves, thyme, parsley, peppercorns).

White Chicken Stock

Also, check out Taste Test Tuesday to read about the difference between broth/stock and white stock/dark stock. There is also a post with a recipe for dark chicken stock.

Ingredients:
bones from your chicken
COLD water to cover your bones by about 2 inches
celery with the leaves
carrots
onions
leeks (chop leeks first and then put them in a bowl of water to wash off the dirt before using them)
black peppercorns
1-2 bay leaves
8-12 stems fresh parsley
2-4 stems fresh thyme

I realize that I haven't put amounts by all of these ingredients. It will really depend on how many bones you are using. The typical rule is that you want a 3:1 ration, bones to vegetables. Some people even prefer a 5:1 ratio that the meat flavor really stands out. How much of each ingredient that you use is really up to you and what flavor that you want. Don't worry too much about it. When I am only using one whole chicken I use: 1 rib celery, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 leek, 1 tsp peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, 5 stems parsley, and 2 stems of thyme. Salt is also optional. Do not use anymore than 1 tsp per every 4 quarts of water.

To start the stock, rinse the bones under cold water and place them into a suitable-sized stock pot. Cover the bones with cold water, by about 2 inches. Turn the heat to medium and slowly bring the bones to a simmer, making sure it doesn’t come to a boil and skimming the fat off periodically. In the meantime, clean and chop the mirepoix (onions, leeks, celery and carrots) into about 1/2 inch pieces.

After the stock has simmered for about 30 minutes, skim one more time, then add the mirepoix. Let the stock gently simmer for at least another hour but preferably 4 more hours, skimming the surface as needed. Make sure to add more cold water if you can see your bones sticking out of the water. The bones should always be covered. Also, remember not to stir your stock.

In the last 30 minutes of cooking add the bouquet garni (peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley stems, fresh thyme and celery leaves), making sure to gently tuck it underneath the surface. Continue to simmer for about 30 minutes.

Once the stock has cooked for at least 1.5-2 hours but preferable 4 hours and up to 8hours, you can strain it. First, skim off as much fat as possible from the surface. Then, gently remove the solids and discard. Finally, strain the stock through a sieve lined with a piece of cheesecloth or clean very thin kitchen towel. You can either use the stock immediately or cool it over an ice bath. Store it in the refrigerator for a few days, or portion it out and freeze for several months.

I discovered a great trick the other day for getting the rest of the fat off of your stock. Place your stock in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. After a couple of hours (the fat as had a chance to come to the top), very gently press the plastic wrap down on top of the fat. The fat will stick to the plastic wrap allowing you to scoop the plastic wrap up with the fat trapped inside.

Taste Test Tuesday: White Chicken Stock Vs. Dark Chicken Stock

I know, I know. I was a complete slacker yesterday. I was planning on posting this last night but I fell asleep on the couch at 8pm and didn't wake up until 1am. By the way, I never fall asleep on the couch so I must have been extremely tired! We are going to chat about stock today. But, first I am going to tell you the difference between broth and stock. Most of you might already now this, but I thought we better talk about it just in case.

Chicken broth is made when using a whole chicken with the meat still attached or a whole chicken that has been cut up with the meat still attached. Since the meat is still attached and will more than likely be used for something else (pot pie, soup, etc.) then the cooking time is generally shorter (45 minutes to an hour). Broth can be used just like stock it just won't have quite as much flavor as stock as it has only simmered for about an hour.

Chicken stock is made using fresh bones from the chicken (no meat). Normally, the backs and necks are used but any bones will make a good stock. I buy whole chickens or split chicken breast and remove the meat (to be cooked later) and use all of the bones from the chicken. Three things that are important to remember when making stock: use COLD water, do NOT bring to a boil, and skim off the fat/impurities during the entire process, and do NOT stir. Chicken stock is simmered for at least 4 hours which makes it richer than chicken broth. You NEVER want to bring stock to a boil. Bringing stock to a boil will make the fat and impurities emulsify into the stock and will never be completed separated. This will make your stock cloudy. Other than the simmering time and bones vs. meat, broth and stock are made the same way.

Dark chicken stock is something I have never heard of until recently. This last year for our anniversary, I got a membership to online cooking courses. It is wonderful. This is where I learned about dark stock. When making dark chicken stock, you caramelize the bones and vegetables before placing them in the cold water to simmer. Also, dark stock is usually simmered anywhere from 6-10 hours. The last difference is that you add a small amount of tomato paste to dark stock. Dark stock is used to add a darker color and deeper flavor to dishes and sauces. You can also make dark chicken broth. Before you start simmering the meat in the water, you would caramelize it in a skillet making sure not to cook the meat all the way through. You would do the same with the veggies. You can caramelize them in the same pan as the meat.



I made white and dark stock this week. There is a HUGE difference in the color and the flavor. I am very excited that I have over 20 cups in my freezer, half white and half dark. I don't know exactly which I will choose for certain recipes. I will have to let you know. I guess it will just depend on the color and flavor that I want and the recipe that I am using. I am going to post the instructions for the white and dark stock today. I hope all of this makes sense! Making stock and freezing it will save you a lot of money!

Thrifty Thursday

My dear friend, Carlyn, gave me this recipe to use for Thrifty Thursday. I haven't made it yet, but absolutely plan on it. Carlyn is an amazing cook so I am positive that it is super yummy! I am sure you will be seeing many more of Carlyn's favorite recipes on future posts. Make sure you read the entire post because there is also an easy, cheap way to make chicken broth and Carlyn's AMAZING roasted garlic bread. We had her garlic butter the other night and it is out of this world! It will absolutely be my go to garlic butter.

Lentil Soup (adapted from Giada de Laurentiis)
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes
• 1 pound dried lentils
• 11 cups chicken broth
• 4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 tsp of dried thyme
• 1 cup dried pasta(elbow or rotini work great)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Shredded Parmesan for garnish

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Add the thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and serve with Carlyn's Roasted Garlic Bread.


This recipe will feed a family of four twice with leftovers. You can immediately freeze half of it for future meals. The cost is $9.01 for the whole recipe (which makes it about 4.50 per meal since it makes two meals) using chicken bouillon cubes because that is the cheapest way to make it with the amount of chicken stock.

However, you could plan a meal that week before you make this soup) that calls for shredded or chopped chicken. Then, you could buy a whole chicken or split chicken breasts and place them in a stock pot. Add 1 onion (peeled and quartered), 2 carrots (cut into 2in pieces), 2 stalks of celery (cut into 2in pieces), 1 leek (dark tops only), 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dry), 3 sprigs fresh parsley, 5 whole black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, and about 4 quarts of water (water should cover chicken completely. Heat to a boil over medium high heat. As soon as it starts to bubble, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for about an hour (until chicken is done).

Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool (cont. to simmer the broth). Once cool, pull the meat from the bones and reserve for your other recipe. Return the bones to the broth and let simmer for another hour. Strain the broth into a large bowl. Place in plastic containers and put in refrigerator (can keep in fridge for 5 days - after 5 days bring it to a boil before using it) or freezer.

Carlyn's Roasted Garlic Spread (YUM!)
• 8 to 10 cloves of garlic
• Olive oil
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup cream cheese, softened
• 2 T grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Roast garlic: Two methods 1) Sit garlic cloves on a small piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and then fold foil around cloves(kind of like an envelope) then roast in the oven or toaster oven at 400F for 20 mins. or 2) in a small skillet saute whole cloves in olive oil over medium heat until soft. Keep them moving so they don’t burn.
2. Mash roasted garlic with a fork mixing with olive oil it was cooked in.
3. In a small bowl, combine garlic mixture with all other ingredients. Mix until smooth.
Spread on your favorite bread and toast.
This spread will keep in the refrigerator for weeks.