I've kept the chicken carcass - now what?

nabowla

I cooked a roast chicken for supper this evening and have kept the carcass to use for making stock. What do I do next? Help!!!

foreverskint

well, I've just popped mine into the slowcooker with some onions, just chiopped into quarters a couple of carrots, the green tops of the leeks a bouquet garni, a couple of chopped celery sticks and 1/2 a dozen peppercorns.

I shall leave it on low overnight and pick the bits of chicken off tomorrow.

I shall strain the stock and use it to make a chicken & veg soup for tea.

HTH

arkonite_babe

Have a look under the mega index for stock, it will give you ideas for using your chicken carcass.
HERE
HTH

Curry_Queen

You can always freeze it until you have a 2-3 carcases together to make up a huge pot of stock in one go, if you don't have time or want to do it at the moment


It's also useful to have a stock bone bag in the freezer to add the odd scraps of bones from jointed pieces eaten during the week too, such as thighs, legs

Rave

I can't be bothered with stock, so last time I had a leftover carcass I bunged it in a large-ish pan the next day (having ripped it up a bit to get it to fit snugly) and covered it in boiling water. I simmered it for about 40 minutes, then let it cool a bit and pulled all of it out again. Then I removed all the meat from the bones (at least all the bits I wanted to eat- parson's nose, no thanks:white: ) and chucked them back into the pan, and added carrots, potato chunks and a lentil/pearl barley "broth mix" which I'd previously soaked. Another half hour of simmering and I had a lovely soup which fed two with enough left over for a lunch sized portion to go in the fridge:).

leonie_2

Well I decided to make my stock in the slow cooker for a change but im surprised at the results, the stock is very thick, just like a jelly!

Usually when I do it in a pan, its fairly thick when it goes cold, but not like jelly. I'm sure it will be fine to use, it just doesnt look so great! Do you think the slow cooker brings out more of the gelatine? I did leave it on for about 8 hours.

On the other hand, it was an organic free range chicken from a local farm. Maybe this could be the reason its different? It is rather golden looking, not the usual dishwater colour.

Has anyone else noticed a difference, or am I going mad?

bootman

Jelly is what you want. Thats a good stock.

squeaky

Yep. Sounds like very good stock to me

leonie_2

Brilliant, thankyou bootman.

I'm glad to hear that as I paid.................. £19 for the bloody chicken!!

So its into the freezer with the precious stock lol!

Jet

leonie wrote:

I'm glad to hear that as I paid.................. £19 for the bloody chicken!!

£19 for a chicken! :eek: Is it gold plated, incredibly large or reared on a diet of caviar and champagne? :rotfl:

I bought 2 mediums chickens for £5 at Asda at the weekend. :T

Ghost

Curry_Queen wrote:

You can always freeze it until you have a 2-3 carcases together to make up a huge pot of stock in one go

Ewwwww! Has put me right off my lunch this thread has! *gags whilst typing reply*