Chicken stock?????

[Harborwitch]

There was a discussion on Serious Eats a while ago about what kind of chicken stock people used; boxed, canned, home made, etc. A number of people thought that making stock at home was too time consuming and a pain in the a$$.

Someone suggested just putting your chicken bones, veggies, herbs, etc. in a large pot with water, covering it and putting it in a 200 oven overnight. ????????

Well I tried it last night and I have to say it made the clearest, prettiest stock I've ever seen. I had to strain out the chunky stuff - but this looks and smells like the best ever. (In the freezer de-fatting now). Just thought I make stock on top of the stove all the time - but jeeze this was such a snap!

[Old Bay]

Was it as clear as what you get in a Jewish deli in the chicken soup? Jean gave the recipe for a "raft" stock awhile back--it worked --but OMG, you need to hire people to stir!! We don't have enough illegal immagrents!!

[Harborwitch]

It's darn near that clear - and the most beautiful golden color! We'll see after it's defatted, I'll try to post a picture.

I'm not that anal about my stock - it usually goes into a soup, or a sauce where it doesn't matter.

I told Bob last night, though, that I am going to start making my own beef stock again. When Billy was here I made a pozole and was lucky enough to have pork stock in the freezer from the pork we cooked for the tamales. I'm going to quit tossing the bones.

[Old Bay]

I'm so glad to know you make pork stock--I thought we were the only ones!!
We do a stuffed Maryland fresh ham for a holiday every year or two--wrapped in cheesecloth and simmered all night--wonderful stock--you can't buy pork stock in my part of the country!! Very versatile!!

[DFen911]

Oh Bill I make chicken, beef, pork, veggie and fish stock

Never heard of doing it in the oven. What was the total time Sharon? Did you get it going on the stove first and then put in the oven?

[Harborwitch]

I just plopped it all in the pot, added the water, and put it in the oven about 10pm - I took it out around 8:30 or so - maybe a little later.

[BarbaraS]

Wow, that sounds like a plan. Are you going to make beef stock in the future?

Barbara

[cjs]

Don't know if anyone remembers "Pop" over on C2C, but he gave us a recipe for overnight stock years ago and I use his method every once in a while.

I agree - homemade stock made from anything is wonderful - corn, leeks, meat, poultry......

OVERNITE OVEN STOCK


"If you are trying for an easy way to make it you might try the oven method. I have been doing this for many years and always had great stock. This is a restatement, but not a direct quote, of my post sometime back:

First find a stock pot that will fit into your oven. If the pot is large you can use foil to cover it rather than the standard lid. (mine clears the broiler element by about ½ inch. Roast the bones where appropriate then place the bones and aromatics in the pot and add water to about 2 inches from the rim. This gives room for expansion as the water heats. Cover the stock pot and put it in the oven set the oven for about 220 degrees F. (104 degrees C.) The next morning, assuming you cooked the stock overnight, you will have a clear full flavored sock. The stock will slowly simmer throughout the night but it will be clear. Let the stock rest for about an hour for the solids to settle then decant carefully and you can then use or freeze the stock. An additional benefit is that the entire house will smell wonderful.

The slow simmering does not agitate the stock enough to break apart the proteins which have flocculated, or clumped together. There is no need for skimming or any attention between the time it is put in the oven and the time it is finished cooking. There is no focused heat source as there would be with a burner so there is essentially no great clean-up since nothing cooks onto the bottom of the stockpot. Also the oven remains clean, unless your overfill the stockpot. Another plus is there is no work necessary between the time the stockpot goes into the oven and the time it comes out."

----

Shoot, it was either Pop or 'old man' now I can't remember.

AND, the house smells so good when you get up in the morning!

[labradors]

Decided to put my reply into my signature, instead of posting it here, so look at the bottom of this message.

[pjcooks]

I use my crockpot, more these days because I'm so busy. I leave it on overnight and it works like a charm.

PJ