Basics: chicken stock

I have a good friend coming to visit this week end so this should be fun and will allow me to test a few recipe, I will report on any memorable recipes later, no worries. I have to admit that I am quite excited about that!!! (seeing my friends and the recipe, especially a maple buttermilk pie I have been thinking about for a while now :) ).

In order to prepare for that I filled my day with grocery shopping, cleaning and cooking. Not much cooking but enough to make the entire house smell nice and feel warm. I experimented with a chicken liver pate from my new cookbook but this is not one I would put up here... way too livery for my taste and I am the only one who actually like liver in this house...

The successful recipe is actually a kitchen staple, chicken stock. Yes, I admit that you really need to try to mess that one up :). I almost did last time I made it by dropping the salt container in it... luckily it was before adding the water so I was able to remove most of it. Anyway, this is not really a recipe, I eyeball most ingredients depending on what I have in my fridge and you can adjust it to the flavor profile you like. The initial recipe I use is Ina Garten's recipe. I adjusted it some to my liking, and since I do not have a 20 quart stock pot I also reduced it. If I don't have an immediate use for the recipe I freeze it, 2 cups at a time in freezer bags that I lay flat in the freezer, it is very convenient and I usually don't even have to go through the "trouble" of thawing it.

Little dog story, while preparing the veggies I dropped a garlic clove and I think that Trysta is only dog I know that enjoys eating raw garlic (I doubled checked by giving her another one...), we already nickname her roadkill breath, this is probably not going to change today :). She is the most adorable dog EVER until she breathes in your face that is. See above how good they are at looking sad, starving, miserable in general.... please don't let that fool you!!!

Ingredients:

- 1 whole chicken

- 3-4 carrots, 2 inches chunck

- 1 onions, quartered

- 3 stalks of celery, 2 inch chuncks

- 3 turnips or parsnips quartered

- 1 bunch of parsley

- 4 springs of thyme

- 5 garlic cloves halved

- 1 tbsp salt

- 1 tsp pepper corns

Instructions:

- Rinse the chicken and place at the bottom of the stock pot, add all ingredients on top, cover with water (about 3-4 quarts depending on your stockpot)

- Bring to a boil on high heat then reduce to low heat and let simmer for 2h

- Turn of the heat, take chicken out of the broth, remove meat and set aside (use for other recipes). Return meat and skin to the liquid and vegetables. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer for an other 2h.

- Strain the liquid, let cool, adjust seasoning to taste and place in the fridge. Skim the fat once cold and it is ready to use in any delicious recipe!

Note:

1- you can let the chicken cook whole in for 4h but based on my experience, the meat has lost all its flavor and texture after 4 hour so you can as well toss it with the veggies, which feels like a waste to me...