Make your own chicken stock: Sunday taste on a weeknight

Stock is an underrated kitchen resource, and making stock at home can drastically undercut the sodium levels of the more expensive store-bought varieties. The best thing about homemade stock, aside from the taste, is that it doesn’t require a lot of babysitting. This makes it a great side task to do on laundry day, or any time spent hanging around the house. My recipe uses a whole chicken, which gives six to eight cups of moist shredded meat in addition to the stock. This recipe, plus a two-pound bag of frozen mixed vegetables, provides everything needed to whip up a big, soothing pot of chicken soup on a cold weeknight.

I purchased my whole chickens at Publix in Greenville for the rock-bottom price of $.69/lb. The vegetables came from The Tomatoe Vine, (yes, it's spelled that way) on Old Buncombe Rd. It is a great place to save a few bucks, and they usually offer the freshest seasonal and local produce.

Homemade Chicken Stock

Yields about 2 quarts

• 
  2 large onions, peeled and cut into thick wedges
• 
  4 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch sections
• 
  4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch sections
• 
  8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 
  ½ bunch fresh parsley, whole
• 
  12 whole black peppercorns
• 
  Big dash salt
• 
  1 3-5 lb. whole chicken

Place the aromatics, (onions through salt on the list) in a large, deep pot, making a bed for the chicken to rest on. Place the whole raw chicken on top of the aromatics. Add cold water until the chicken is covered by about one inch. Place on a large burner and turn heat to medium-high. Watch for bubbles to begin rising to the surface of the water, and then turn the heat to medium-low. Make sure the water doesn’t boil. Let the chicken cook for 2-2 ½ hours. When a fork inserted and twisted in the breast meat causes the meat to shred, the chicken is done. Carefully pull it out of the water and place in a casserole with deep sides. Let the chicken cool slightly. Then, use two forks to pull the meat from the bones and shred it. Return the bones and skin to the pot, and continue cooking for at least 1 ½ hours. The longer it cooks, the better it will taste.

When the stock is done cooking, set the pot off the burner and let it cool slightly before straining it to remove the aromatics. As the stock cools, and becomes cold in the refrigerator, two things will happen. First, the fat will separate and rise to the top, forming a hardened layer that is easily removed. Second, the stock will become Jello-like, due to the collagen given by the bones in the cooking process. Don’t be alarmed; it will liquefy again when it’s heated. Pour the stock into the desired portions and freeze. Quarts are good for soup, and smaller containers are good for sauces and cooking rice. All the shredded meat from the whole chicken can be portioned and frozen.

The next time a craving for soup strikes, simply thaw the stock and meat, heat in a pot, and add vegetables. Noodles or rice are also tasty additions. Taste the soup before serving and add more salt if needed.