Basic Chicken Stock

Title: Basic Chicken Stock
Categories: Chicken
Yield: 1 servings

4 lb Chicken Wings
4 Fresh Parsley Sprigs
4 Cold Water
4 Cloves
3 Stalks Celery, Sliced
4 Black Peppercorns
1 Onion, Sliced
1 ts Thyme, Dried, Crumbled
1 Carrot, Sliced
1 Bay Leaf

Combine chicken wings and 4 quarts water in heavy large pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes, skimming foam from surface. Add remaining ingredients to pot simmer 2 hours. Strain stock, lightly pressing on solids to release all liquid. Chill stock until cold and fat on top is solid, at least 6 hours and up to 2 days. Discard fat. Boil stock in heavy medium saucepan over high heat until reduced to 8 cups, about 30 minutes. (Can be prepared ahead. Cover and refrigerate 2 days or freeze up to 6 months.) Makes 8 cups. Recipe from Bon Appetit, March, 1993 - from Jim Fobel, whose most recent book is "The Whole Chicken Cookbook" (Ballantine, 1992). Note from me: We usually freeze our stock in ice trays until frozen then we put in large zip lock freezer bag, labeled for storage. We know that approximately 7 stock "cubes" equal one cup of stock, so it makes it easy to pop out a few when cooking, or take out a measured amount for a recipe. Sure is nicer to have your own *unsalted* stock to use instead of the canned, which is so hard to find with little or no salt. We also make our own garlic broth and store it the same way, and occasionally make our own beef broth. Whenever we make a smoked turkey (and can resist using the carcass for gumbo), we make turkey stock, too.