Making Stock

In winter, I practically live on homemade soup. Many Sunday afternoons are spent putting together a pot of something, which I then divvy up into single serving containers, pop in the freezer and take out one at a time the night before for quick lunches the following day. We'll have soup for dinner once every couple of weeks, too. With some lightly dressed greens and a piece of crusty bread, it's makes a warming, satisfying supper.

The stock dilemma is always a frustrating one for me. Chicken is my usual broth of choice but I'm not particularly interested in bouillon cubes. Something about all those living, breathing ingredients being shrunken down into a florescent yellow cube is off-putting.

Most often, I stand in the grocery aisle, staring at the options -- organic (but sodium-loaded); non-organic (and sodium-loaded) or non-organic (with less sodium). If I make it over to the health food store, I can find a good option that's both organic and low in sodium. But it costs quite a bit and with the amount of stock I go through, it seems indulgent.

The answer, of course, is to make my own stock, which I never seem to find the time for. In truth, it's quite easy and it's very cheap. The thing to do is to set aside an afternoon, borrow an extra stock pot, get myself a plethora of one-litre plastic containers, clear a spot in the freezer and make up a huge batch. This I vow to do at least once before winter is over.

My favourite spot for chicken in the city (and many others', too, based on the Saturday morning insanity) is Bloomingdale's Hilltop Acres Poultry, which is available most easily from St. Jacob's Market. Their chicken, while not organic, is free run and hormone and additive free.

Lynn Dettweiler, the retail sales manager (and sausage maker) for Hilltop, says bones of any kind will make good stock.

"You can use anything," she says. "Chicken feet make good gelatinous stock. It's thick and full of body and flavour. Necks work, too. Those are the most economical ones."

Indeed, a two-and-a-half pound bag of chicken feet at Hilltop will set you back a mere $2.50.

Lance Edwards, head chef at Waterloo restaurant Charbries, says he uses "anything that you can't eat. The tips of wings, chicken feet, necks and so on."

Stock is one of the simplest things to make, he says, but every chef has their own technique. Depending on what he's using the stock for, Edwards has different methods.

One worthwhile tip, he says, is to roast the bones first. "It's extra work but it does make for a deeper colour and flavour. When you do roast the bones, you also get rid of a lot of the fat so you don't have to work as hard to skim the stock later."

As for how to flavour your broth, Edwards recommends a classic mirepoix (carrot, onion and celery) and a bouquet garni (a bundle of fresh herbs like parsley, thyme and bay leaf) for starters. Peppercorns and salt are also important. A few tomato scraps are a worthwhie addition, he says. "It won't colour it, but it will help clarify it." And you can "break the rules" by adding leeks and other vegetable scraps, but steer clear of anything with strong flavour (like broccoli or cauliflower).

Here's a recipe slightly adapted from The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook to get you started. If you have two stockpots (or can borrow one), I suggest doubling this and making a big batch. Might as well. Refrigerate it (or stick it out on the front porch for a few hours) before skimming the fat off -- it's much easier. There's no salt in this recipe; you can add it later when you put your stock to use.

Chicken Stock

5 lbs chicken bones, backs and/or necks, cut into pieces

2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

1 unpeeled onion, coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

a few stems of fresh thyme and parsley

1 tbsp black peppercorns

Pour 16 cups (4 L) cold water into large stockpot. Add chicken bones. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam.

Add all other ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer for four hours. 

Strain into a large bowl, discarding vegetables and bones. Cool to let fat solidify on surface. Remove fat and refrigerate up to three days or freeze up to four months.