Brown Chicken Stock

Cut up 2 (3-pound) chickens, or use any combination of thighs, drumsticks, or breasts to make this chicken stock. Use a pan large enough to roast the chicken and all the vegetables in a single layer. If the pan is too small, the chicken won't brown properly.

This recipe goes with Chicken Noodle Soup with Fresh Tarragon, Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, Matzo Ball Soup, Posole (Tomatillo, Chicken, and Hominy Soup)

Yield: 10 cups (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1/4  pound  fennel stalks, cut into 2-inch-thick pieces
• 3  carrots, cut into 2-inch-thick pieces
• 1  celery stalk, cut into 2-inch-thick pieces
• 1  medium onion, unpeeled and quartered
• 6  pounds  chicken pieces
• 1/2  teaspoon  black peppercorns
• 6  parsley sprigs
• 5  thyme sprigs
• 2  bay leaves
• 16  cups  cold water, divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange the first 4 ingredients in the bottom of a broiler or roasting pan, and top with chicken pieces. Bake at 400° for 1 1/2 hours, turning the chicken once every 30 minutes (chicken and vegetables should be very brown).

Place the peppercorns, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves in an 8-quart stockpot. Remove vegetables and chicken from broiler pan, and place in stockpot. Carefully discard the drippings from broiler pan, leaving browned bits. Place broiler pan on stovetop; add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes, scraping the bottom to loosen the browned bits.

Pour contents of broiler pan into stockpot. Add remaining 12 cups of water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Strain stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Reserve chicken for another use; discard remaining solids. Cover and chill stock for 8 hours. Skim solidified fat from surface of broth, and discard.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

31 (32% from fat)

Fat:

1.1g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.2g)

Protein:

4.7g

Carbohydrate:

0.4g

Fiber:

0.1g

Cholesterol:

15mg

Iron:

0.3mg

Sodium:

19mg

Calcium:

4mg