How do i make my own chicken stock?

TRYINGTOSWIM

thanks.
so I can do the stock, and then use this instead of oxo stock in a stew? or instead of packet casserole mixes to make a casserole.?

meritaten

of course you can hun. what casserole were you thinking of making?

TRYINGTOSWIM

actually i dont mind,I just really want to know I have used all my monies worth of the chicken.
I have just got it into my head now determined to make this stock tomorrow and then use the stock when I next make a casserole.
normally I would use the colmans chausseur mix.when I first had the sc I used to use oxo stock and everything tasted watery so i began to use the colmans mixes

squeaky

I can't say for sure - but those packet mixes may have thickener in them.

For your casseroles (and soups) how thick your liquid is will depend on the ingredients that you use. Some may produce a bit of extra liquid, some may disintegrate and help thicken.

You have a few options...

For erm, four good portions:-

a) You could use a rounded tablespoon of cornflour - mix with a small amount of water and then stir into your mix. (In fact, if your end product is "runny" you can do this towards the end of cooking too.)

b) Add things like red lentils to your ingredients. These tend to disintegrate in a long cook.

c) Add a rounded desert spoon of porridge oats to your ingredients. Again, in a long cook you'll never know they were there

d) Towards the end of cooking - use a slotted spoon and take out sort of half a serving's worth of solids, blitz them and then stir them back in. (In fact, if your kids don't like veg much - sneakily cook a few seperately, blitz and stir in )

HTH

ragz_2

If you aren't entirely sure I would just freeze the stock then use it next your a recipe calls for chicken stock, you can't really make a casserole from it without a lot of other things as stock is really just flavoured, fortified water.
Also I never bother adding veg to my chicken stock, just boil the carcass for a few hours.
If you made a good stock it will be brown, not cloudy and should be jelly-like when cold.

TRYINGTOSWIM

thanks for all replies.
my plan is,and I feeling pretty smug..:)
chicken dinner today
make stock
make chicken pie for tomorrow with some left over chicken, using the stock to make the gravy for the pie.

now off to search for a chicken pie recipe..surely its just carrots,onions,peas,chicken and some gravy? all tucked safely in pastry:rotfl:

I am determined to get this old style cooking cracked. on the positive side I have made a huge batch off fairy cakes for lunch boxes,cooking while oven is on and will freeze some before my gannet kids eat them all.

BitterAndTwisted

Yep, with all those ingredients you have a recipe for chicken pie. Don't be tempted to add much liquid if the pie has a base or it'll be all soggy. I'd be minded to thicken some of the stock with corn-flour before adding to the chicken.

Don't forget that the more you reduce the liquid, the more flavoursome the stock will become. I would reckon that you'd need to reduce by half the volume at least. Well, that's what I used to do. For that reason don't add any salt until after it's reduced.

With a whole carcass-worth of stock you should have enough to make sauce/gravy for your pie and as a base for some soup. Good stock is precious, even if all you're going to use it for is making one portion of risotto.

squeaky

Your "gravy" for a pie needs to be really thick - and you need surprisingly little.

About one large coffee mug's worth of stock should be plenty.

I most frequently make chicken and mushroom pie. Lightly fry the mushrooms in a little oil or butter. Very lightly that is. Take them out - chop a few of them very finely and put them back in the pan and cover with your stock. Add a little water to a heaped desert spoon of cornflour and stir it in.

You now need to simmer this until it is the consistency of a thick custard.

Then assemble your pie like wot you do


My secret recipe for savoury pie pastry...

8 oz (225g) plain flour
1 oz (25g) each of butter, lard, and suet.
Pinch of salt
water to mix.

Just make it up in the usual way for pastry. Works a treat

mommame

Just a tip on what not to do like I just did.
babysat my chicken stock all day and went to strain off the bones/veg and I poured the stock straight down the drain!!!!!!!!! I forgot to put the pan underneath so ended up with a colonder full of manky veg and bones.

meritaten

mommame wrote: »

Just a tip on what not to do like I just did.
babysat my chicken stock all day and went to strain off the bones/veg and I poured the stock straight down the drain!!!!!!!!! I forgot to put the pan underneath so ended up with a colonder full of manky veg and bones.

yes, Ive done that too! heartbreaking - I cried and OH was gobsmacked! I NEVER cry! but on the bright side - Ive never ever done it again!