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Light Chicken Stock

(recipe, Nancy Oakes, Pamela Mazzola, Lisa Weiss)

Ingredients

  1. 4 lb. chicken legs, backs, and carcasses, or use more chicken wings
  2. 7 qt. water, about
  3. 10 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
  4. 1 bay leaf
  5. 1 tsp. black peppercorns
  6. 1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
  7. 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
  8. 1 leek, halved lengthwise, cleaned, and sliced ½ inch thick
  9. 1 large onion, coarsely chopped

Steps

  1. Put the chicken into a large stockpot and cover with the water, adding more if necessary. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam. Meanwhile, tie up the parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a cheesecloth bag to make a bouquet garni. Add the carrot, celery, leek, onion, and bouquet garni to the pot and bring back to a boil. Skim again and decrease the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 2½ to 3 hours, skimming occasionally. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl or two, let cool completely, and skim once more. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 4 days, then bring back to a boil and refrigerate for 2 more days, or freeze for up to 2 months in small containers.