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Golden Chicken Stock

(recipe, Kelly Myers)

Ingredients

  1. 2 chicken hindquarters
  2. 4 lb. chicken wings, or a combination of wings and backs
  3. Vegetable oil
  4. 1 parsnip, peeled and cut in 4-inch lengths
  5. 2 carrots, peeled and cut in 4-inch lengths
  6. 2 celery stalks, trimmed and cut in 4-inch lengths
  7. 1 bunch scallions, white and pale green parts only
  8. 12 parsley stems
  9. 2 pinches salt

Steps

  1. If you are using backs, rinse them well and drain. Rub wings lightly with oil and roast spread out on a sheet pan in a 450-degree oven until nut-brown, about 25 minutes. Drain excess fat from the sheet pan. Put wings in an 8-to-12-quart stockpot with the hindquarters and backs if you are using them.
  2. Add cold water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil. Turn down to a very low simmer and skim off foam.
  3. Add vegetables and salt. Simmer for 6 hours. Occasionally push vegetables down under the surface of the stock.
  4. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and allow stock to cool to room temperature in a shallow container before refrigerating. If you must refrigerate stock before it has cooled, leave it uncovered. Covering warm liquids slows cooling, and creates conditions for bacterial growth.
  5. Store stock in the refrigerator for up to one week. At that point, stock can be boiled for 3 minutes, chilled, and stored for another 3 days. Skim hardened fat off the surface before using the stock.

Note

Turkey is a widely available substitute for chicken. Ask your butcher for chicken backs, which are very economically priced.