Feed the Masses

Yesterday was stock day.  I have one every few months after I’ve run out of frozen stock from the last batch.

I don’t consume enough chicken to have the bones necessary to make the quantity of stock I use. But a couple of friends save their bones for me too, in exchange for a promise to make them soup when they’re sick. That works out very well for me–particularly because they’re very healthy people.

Stock isn’t just for soups and stews. It can add flavor and richness to many dishes–anything with rice or cous cous, many sauces, curries, braised meats or vegetables. So it’s a necessary ingredient in any well-stocked kitchen.

But like I wrote in the frugal foodie philosophy, adding store-bought stock to everything can add significant expense.

Stock generally costs about $3 for 32 ounces at the store, but you can make a 10-quart pot of stock—that’s 320 ounces—for less than $3 in ingredients. The bones are essentially free if you save ones you would have otherwise thrown away. Since the vegetables don’t need to be at their peak of freshness, stock day can be a good time to use up the last few stalks of shriveling celery and carrots in the fridge.In a 10 qt stock pot, add the bones of two chickens. You can include the skin or other fatty bits if you have it, but I wouldn’t recommend adding the innards. The one time I did that the whole batch came out tasting slightly of kidney.

Add 2-3 carrots, 2-3 celery stalks, and one medium yellow onion, all chopped into large chunks. Smash a few cloves of garlic and throw that in too. Then add a dash of salt and a few peppercorns, a couple bay leaves and few generous sprinkles of rosemary, thyme, dill and sage or a bouquet garni of fresh herbs.

Cover with water and simmer on low for 5-6 hours, occasionally scraping any scum from the top and adding more water as needed.

Put your stock in varying sized containers for storage in the freezer, so you’ll always be able to pull out exactly the amount you need for your cooking.  It keeps in the freezer for at least three months.