Homemade chicken stock is most delicious as the base of soups and in any recipe that calls for chicken broth. It can even be switched out for water in rice or casseroles.  It is healthy and quite simple to make. And maybe the best part is your house will smell like Thanksgiving as it’s stewing.

Serves: 6-8 cups of stock

Tools:

Stock pot

cutting board

chef’s knife

Strainer with fine mesh

Ingredients:

Chicken carcas or bones from roasted chicken (linked recipe)
*freeze after roasting chicken or use right away ~ there are no preservatives in the meat in Cairo

4 carrots – washed and roughly chopped

4 celery stalks – washed and roughly chopped

1 onion – roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves – peeled

1 -3 tsp salt (to taste)

1-3 tsp cracked black pepper (to taste)

savory spices (as you like): parsley, sage or thyme – fresh or dried

filtered water – enough to fill the pot

For the chicken stock:

Place the vegetables in the bottom of your stock pot. Rest the chicken bones on top. Add salt, pepper and spices. Fill with filtered water until covers vegetables and chicken, about 1/2 inch from the rim of the pot.

Cook on medium-high until it comes to a boil. Stir occasionally. Turn heat to low and simmer for 8 hours with the top off. (This can also be made in a crock pot if you cannot babysit your stove, but I find the flavors are not as robust) Taste throughout to make sure the spice levels are to your liking. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Let cool.

Put your strainer over another bowl, making sure it is steady across the opening. Pour the stock through the strainer into the new bowl. Discard the vegetables and chicken bones.

Store the stock in an airtight container for up to one week in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to one month.