Stock making

welshbookworm

OK numpty questions
How long do you cook a chicken carcass to make stock for please?
And how do you get the bones out and leave the meat in it ?
many thanks

BitterAndTwisted

I'd simmer it for about an hour. Strain the contents and the bones should be fairly obvious so you can pick them out.

Taste the stock and if it's weak and insipid you'll need to simmer it without a lid on to reduce. Do not add salt until you're happy with the flavour as reducing it will intensify the saltiness.

welshbookworm

Many thanks, now on my way to get my 5th (and possibly 6th) meal out of a £2 whoopsied chicken!

sweetilemon

Try putting onion skins in with the carcus if you have some. Gives it a nice flavour

FairyPrincessk

There are some schools of thought they say the gelatine in the bones is quite healthy. I let my chicken cook until I can see this--generally do it most of the day in a SC then strain. Probably would take about an hour using Bitter and Twisted's method, just thought I'd mention the SC as I find this a useful way to do it when I have to be out all day. Once it's cooled, I skim off fat.

zaxdog

I cook mine on low in the slow cooker overnight and in the morning I strain it with a big colander over my huge baking bowl. Let it cool, skim the excess fat and either use that day or freeze in tubs :j

oldhaggis

I usually get two lots of stock out of a chicken - one lot from the jelly and one lot from boiling the carcass. I always pot-roast my chicken with assorted home grown herbs in a lidded casserole with a tiny bit of olive oil in the bottom of the dish. When it is cooked I leave it to relax for 10-15 minutes in the pot, then remove it and serve. There is always a lot of liquid in the bottom of the casserole and some of this can be used for gravy.

When the remaining liquid has cooled I pour it into a cup or bowl, cling film it and put it in the fridge overnight. It sets into a jelly, with a layer of fat on top. The fat goes out for the birds mixed with cut up bread ends/crusts. The remaining jelly can be put into a yogurt pot or cream pot and frozen for use in mushroom risotto, soups etc.

Once I’ve stripped the carcass for the next meal, I boil it with an onion, a couple of celery stalks, chopped celery leaves, bits of leek (I save the top half inch and the tough outer leaves) a carrot, an old potato, a few more fresh herbs and seasoning. I usually let it simmer for an hour and then strain. When it has cooled it is quite easy to remove any good meat from the bones. I always rescue the veg and strain it through a metal strainer and use the puree in soup. Next time I will definitely try Sweetilemon’s method of adding the onion skin for extra flavour.