Slow-Cooker Chicken Stock

Ingredience

3 quarts water

2½ pounds roasted chicken bones

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon table salt

1 bay leaf

Pokyny

1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 8 to 10 hours.

2. Let stock cool slightly, then strain through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl. Use immediately or let cool completely, then refrigerate until cold. (When cold, surface fat will solidify and can be easily removed with spoon. Stock will keep, refrigerated, for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.)

Poznámky

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Homemade stock tastes a lot better than even the best store-bought broths. This rich, savory stock is remarkably easy in the slow cooker. We piled vegetables and leftover cooked chicken bones in cold water, added seasonings, and set it on high. The slow cooker prevented evaporation, so the bones remained submerged. Refrigerating the strained stock allowed the fat to rise to the top and solidify, making it easy to discard.

This stock is great to use in any of our recipes calling for chicken broth. You can freeze chicken carcasses one at a time until you have the 2½ pounds needed for this recipe; three to four rotisserie chicken carcasses or one 6-pound roaster carcass will weigh about 2½ pounds. This recipe was developed using bones from cooked chicken. Buy fresh carrots with greens attached for the best flavor. Buy loose celery heads, not bagged celery heads or hearts.