Making a decent stock

[loki]

Yesterday afternoon had a Sunday roast so I thought I would use the carcass of the Chicken to make some stock for Risotto later on this week or next week and freeze it. So I went through the steps of putting it in a big pan with a few chopped carrots, celery some herbs and Salt & Pepper. Boil it up and simmer for a few hours.

Now once done it tasted bland as old boots and I am thinking this isn't going to make much better stock than a chicken Oxo cube. So has anyone tried to make their own stock and how did it turn out ?

[BBx]

I've done exactly what you have done, but frozen mine... am yet to use it though.

Was planning to use it in a sauce to make a chicken pie or something but haven't got round to it yet.

Much more satisfying than an oxo cube I am sure ;) plus if you are making chicken soup or any soup you can use it as part of the recipe I am sure.

BB x

[loki]

I've done exactly what you have done, but frozen mine... am yet to use it though.

Was planning to use it in a sauce to make a chicken pie or something but haven't got round to it yet.

Much more satisfying than an oxo cube I am sure ;) plus if you are making chicken soup or any soup you can use it as part of the recipe I am sure.

BB x

I think it will probably turn out ok tbh but I guess after you have used Oxo cubes for god knows how long you get used to all the salt and other crap they put in there. Its in the freezer

[BBx]

Er... yeah.. haven't really used oxo cubes...:o

Actually I have in spag bol maybe... sometimes I forget to use things.

Am saving mine for when I make a stew and when I make a pie like I have said before.

Really should get round to it!!!

:D

Let us know what you do with yours!

BB x

[Jonny69]

I make stock all the time but you have to boil it right down to make it taste of anything otherwise it'll be watery. You're probably used to the taste of Oxo stock which is mainly salt and not much flavour.

For chicken stock I usually do this:

Chicken carcass with meat picked off broken into pieces
1 onion halved
1 large carrot halved
1 stick of celery (optional because not everyone likes it)
Pinch of dried mixed herbs, 10 peppercorns

Get a large pan very hot and dump the carcass and veg in and brown it all off, get some good colour on it. Top it with about a litre of boiling water, add the herbs/peppercorns and drop the heat to and let it simmer with a lid on for about 2 hours.

Strain the liquid into a smaller pan which should be a light brown colour and reduce it down to half the volume, then add salt to taste. It should then be a tasty stock which you can boil down further for gravy etc. When it goes cold it should turn to jelly.

[goldilocks]

i use marigold vegetable bouillion
it is a fantastic stock - so tasty it can even be used as a hot, soupy drink just by itself
cheating, yes, tasty, definitely!

[lostkat]

I use the same, goldilocks. It's fantastic!

[loki]

I make stock all the time but you have to boil it right down to make it taste of anything otherwise it'll be watery. You're probably used to the taste of Oxo stock which is mainly salt and not much flavour.

For chicken stock I usually do this:

Chicken carcass with meat picked off broken into pieces
1 onion halved
1 large carrot halved
1 stick of celery (optional because not everyone likes it)
Pinch of dried mixed herbs, 10 peppercorns

Get a large pan very hot and dump the carcass and veg in and brown it all off, get some good colour on it. Top it with about a litre of boiling water, add the herbs/peppercorns and drop the heat to and let it simmer with a lid on for about 2 hours.

Strain the liquid into a smaller pan which should be a light brown colour and reduce it down to half the volume, then add salt to taste. It should then be a tasty stock which you can boil down further for gravy etc. When it goes cold it should turn to jelly.

Cheers Jonny.

That's how I made it and got the Jelly at the end also :) I suspect it will be my taste buds getting used to it. The reason why I wanted a good stock is that my Son(He's Six) loves Risotto. So it's a good excuse to give him some food he likes whilst making it myself, I can control what goes in compared to processed food. Plus it's one of the only ways I can get him to eat peas at the moment as well ;)

[Jonny69]

Boil it down a bit further then, the flavour really does come up. Or you can cheat and add some Oxo cube, it's a good way to make your hard work go a bit further.