Basic Chicken Stock

Ingredients

• 1 5-pound fowl or the necks, backs, wing tips, gizzards and hearts of four to six chickens; two small whole fowl may also be used
• 1 leek, trimmed and scrubbed
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots, scraped
• 2 stalks celery including the tops
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 whole peppercorns
• 10 to 12 cups cold water
• Sprig of fresh dill and sprig of fresh parsley, tied together in a piece of cheesecloth
• Salt

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    22 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 0 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 54 milligrams cholesterol; 99 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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About 2 1/2 quarts

Preparation

1. Place all ingredients except water, parsley, dill and salt in a kettle. Add water (it should cover the ingredients) and bring to a boil. Boil for five minutes.
2. Lower heat to a simmer and during the next five to 10 minutes carefully skim the top of the soup. When the soup seems to be simmering without additional scum collecting on top, add the parsley, dill and season with salt. Allow the soup to simmer for about two hours, adding a little additional water if necessary to keep the ingredients covered.
3. Remove chicken, vegetables and herbs and strain soup through a strainer lined with a linen napkin or several thicknesses of cheesecloth.
4. Return soup to a clean pot, return to a simmer and taste carefully for seasoning, adding additional salt if necessary. If the soup is too weak, continue simmering it to concentrate it until the desired intensity of flavor is reached. Chicken soup will keep in the refrigerator up to five days or it may be frozen.

About 2 hours 30 minutes