Homemade Chicken Stock

Method

1. I often see jars or cartons of chicken stock in the supermarket and I cannot get over the price that you have to pay for them when it is so cheap and easy to make at home.

2. There is nothing like the smell of a pot of chicken stock bubbling on the hob. It fills the house and makes us all feel amazing. It is one of those smells, just like baking bread, that brings a smile to your face.

3. The key to making good stock isn’t to do with the flavourings you use, far from it; chicken stock should be pure, without any other flavouring.

4. Once you’ve had a lovely roast chicken meal and used up the leftover meat for another meal, you’re left with a carcass. If you like you can freeze the carcass and wait until you have three at once to make a large batch of stock. I prefer to have fresh stock on the go once a week.

5. Take the picked-over carcass and using either your hands or a sharp knife, split it into about four pieces. Splitting the pieces isn’t essential, but it helps to reduce the cooking time and increase the surface area for caramelisation and, therefore, flavour. Put the carcass on a baking tray lined with tinfoil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes at 200°C.

6. Boil a kettle and grab a large saucepan with a lid. Tumble the roasted bones into the saucepan, cover with hot water and put on a low heat.

7. It should immediately start to simmer. Cover the pot, then leave to simmer for 60 minutes.

8. While still warm, strain away the bones and decant the liquid into a sealed, sterilised jar and allow to cool before refrigerating.

9. Home-made stock will keep in the fridge for up to two days or in the freezer for a couple of months.