Homemade poultry stock

Today, I bought a rotisserie chicken solely for the carcass. I needed a stock for the stuffings and the gravies I will be making in the next few days (two Thanksgivings in two days!).

When I explained this at the dinner table, my son astutely asked, "Can't you just buy chicken stock at the store?"

To which I answered, well of course you can, but I enjoy making my own. I think the flavor is better, and I also like feeling like I have gotten everything I can out of that chicken and I know everything that went into my food.

A stock is also a great opportunity to use up kitchen odds and ends—you can throw a variety of treasures into the stockpot, like bits of Parmesan cheese, mushroom stems, tomato skins, celery leaves, and leftover bits of herbs.

When I was a kid, the ceremonial boiling of the turkey carcass was as much a part of the after-Thanksgiving ritual as napping on the sofa during football. In fact, the turkey stock was the backbone of one of our favorite leftover meals: turkey soup. I now make stock as often as my chicken supply permits, and I keep the liquid on hand for any kind of soup, stew, chili, or slow-cooker meal.

Just in case you don't have a long family tradition of homemade chicken stock, I am sharing mine with you. You can use this stock as a base for chicken soup, as the liquid for your stuffing, and for your gravies. I add no salt to mine, because some members of my household are very salt-sensitive. If you add salt to yours, use it sparingly. It is easy to add, but impossible to take out.

1 chicken or turkey carcass, picked clean.

(wait till the bird cools, carve off as much meat as you can with a knife, then remove the rest of the meat with your fingers. We usually serve the whole bird for dinner, then save the extra meat for salad, stir fry, sandwiches, and chili)

Place the bones in the bottom of a large stockpot on medium-high heat. Add

1 onion, quartered

2 ribs celery, sliced

4 carrots, sliced, or a handful of baby carrots

Add enough cold water to cover the solids. Bring water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, so that the surface of the water is just barely bubbling.

Add

1 bay leaf

1 tsp crushed rosemary

4-8 black pepper corns or 1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

Allow to simmer on low for 2-3 hours, until the bones are falling apart.

To strain:

Place a fine-mesh strainer or colander over a large storage bowl (something you can put a cover on and store in the refrigerator. Should be able to hold about 6-8 cups of liquid).

Place the storage bowl with the sieve on top in the sink.

Pour the stock into the sieve so that the liquid falls into the bowl. Stop pouring when most of the liquid is gone and the solids remain at the bottom of the pan. (You don’t need to pour the solids into the colander, and doing so may cause a hot mess.)

Cover the stock and place it in the refrigerator. As the stock cools, any fat will rise to the surface. This creates a protective coating, so don’t scrape it off until you are ready to use the stock.

Let the solids cool for a few minutes before wrapping in bags and discarding. (I have a dog, so I have to wrap and freeze the remains until trash day, or she will be tempted to dig them out of the garbage).

The stock will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For Thanksgiving use, you can make it on Tuesday or Wednesday and it will be in great shape for your stuffing and gravy. If you have more stock than you will use in 3-4 days, separate the liquid into one-cup portions and freeze for future use. Stock will keep in the freezer for about six months.

Once Thanksgiving is over, you can make a wonderful turkey stock with the same method described above, using the turkey carcass. You will just need a large enough stock pot to cover the carcass. And also, break the largest part of the carcass into two sections so that it will circulate better in the pot. For a turkey, double the vegetables and seasonings because you will be using more liquid.