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.Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

Source of Recipe

From "Cook With Me" by Alex Guarnaschelli


Recipe Introduction

"Here's the thing about a slow cooker: it's really like a babysitter for the long-term cooking we want to do but don't want to monitor. Although I am a professional chef, I use very little chicken stock. I often use water to cook rice and other grains, and even as the base of many soups. However, there are other times, like when I make a chicken soup or braised chicken dishes, where a stock to match the meat in the dish makes all the difference. This is my chicken stock and I love it. You can save the carcasses from roasting chickens and spatchcocking chickens in the freezer, and when you have five or six whole carcasses, make a roasted chicken stock from those bones. Or just ask your butcher for chicken bones—they often have some tucked away exactly for this purpose. Don't be surprised at having to use the oven before you turn on your slow cooker—roasting vegetables draws out their water and concentrates their flavor before you even start building the stock. If you have an Instant Pot, you can begin by browning the vegetables directly in the pot, and then layer the other ingredients on top."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 medium yellow onions, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick (about 1 ½ cups)
â—¦ 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds (about 1 ½ cups)
â—¦ 2 large stalks celery, peeled and cut into 1-inch-thick pieces
â—¦ 1 tablespoon canola oil
â—¦ 1 dried bay leaf
â—¦ 16 to 20 whole black peppercorns
â—¦ 6 to 8 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
â—¦ 5 pounds chicken bones
â—¦ 6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
â—¦ Kosher salt


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

In a large bowl, toss the onions, carrots, and celery with the oil, bay leaf, peppercorns, and parsley. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan and the place the pan in the oven. Roast until the vegetables are slightly tender and lightly browned, 18 to 20 minutes.

Place all of the chicken bones and the roasted vegetables in the slow cooker and fill it with 8 to 10 cups of water.
Cover, set the cooker on high, and cook for 3 hours.

After 3 hours, skim any impurities from the surface of the stock and add the thyme and a pinch of salt. (It's not enough salt to season the stock but just enough to elevate the meat flavors as they develop.) Then set the slow cooker on low, cover, and cook for 4 hours more. Strain the finished stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing down on the bones and vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible.

I often make a batch of stock because I need it right away to make soups or braises. If you're making yours ahead of time, cool it and then freeze it in whatever increments suit you. It can be stored in small plastic freezer bags or in a large sealed container.

Makes 2 ½ to 3 quarts
(10 to 12 cups)