Homemade Chicken Stock

[patandchickens]

Yeah, get a GOOD older chicken and a GOOD (authentic, real, designed-for-older-chickens) coq au vin recipe, and then see how much your husband dislikes chicken

Pat

 

[journey11]

I think you can't beat an old hen or rooster for stock. The older the bird, the better the flavor. I've also used the carcasses from a roasted chicken or YUM--smoked turkey. But spent layers or tough roosters, I just bone them out and toss the whole thing in the stock pot (along with a couple stalks of celery, onion, a carrot, s&p and a couple bay leaves). I cook it until the meat is tender, take the meat off and use it for pot pie, chicken noodle soup, or whatever. Then I break up the bones a little and stick the carcass back in the pan. I simmer mine all day, strain, cool until I can skim off the fat, then pack into freezer jars.

One of my neighbors told me the other day that he killed all his old layers and tossed them over the hill. I'm like WHAAAAAAT?! Crazy man!

ETA: Depending on where you live and how commonly chickens are raised in your area, you should be able to find someone who is more than happy to give them to you for FREE. Lots of folks don't wanna do the dirty work, appearantly (or they got attached and can't bring themselves to do it.)

 

[AnnaRaven]

Oh, and you DH might find out that he loves chicken, once he has tasted the real deal.

DH grew up in Italy where his grandfather had a farm and raised chickens and pigs and DH works at Google, famous for their cooking. He's had freerange chicken. He hates that *worse* because it tastes even more like chicken.

The only way he likes it is if it's boiled to tastelessness, then disguised with marinara (cacciatore) or similar treatment. He doesn't mind too much if I make taco meat out of it, because then all the mexican spices disguise the flavor as well.

Given his choice at work between freerange chicken and tofu (which he also hates), he choose tofu (because it's easier to disguise). That's how much he doesn't like chicken.

 

[patandchickens]

Oh, well, ok, maybe he is never going to like chicken. But maybe YOU could eat a lot of chicken, then, for the sake of the soup stock

There are PLENTY of things you can do with roast young chicken meat, or slow-cooked older chicken meat, for meals you eat by yourself. Or do something like crepes and stuff yours with a chicken-based filling and his with <something else>?

Pat

 

[AnnaRaven]

Oh, well, ok, maybe he is never going to like chicken. But maybe YOU could eat a lot of chicken, then, for the sake of the soup stock

There are PLENTY of things you can do with roast young chicken meat, or slow-cooked older chicken meat, for meals you eat by yourself. Or do something like crepes and stuff yours with a chicken-based filling and his with <something else>?

Pat

Ooh. Love crepes. I'm sure I'll figure out what to do with the chicken meat...

Just wasn't sure about the stock part. I now have 6 chickens in the house. 2 are in the stockpot as we speak. The other 4 are in the freezer and I'll try roasting those before I make stock from them.