Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

By broots

A homemade chicken stock recipe isn’t hard to stumble upon. But a reliable homemade chicken stock recipe? Hah. That’s another matter entirely. The thing is, you can certainly toss chicken—whether raw parts or the carcass of a roasted hen—and whatever vegetables and herbs you happen to have on hand in your slow cooker with some water and chances are it’s not going to be terrible. But it may not be as much to your liking as it could be. If you’re brazen enough to veer from the formula in the recipe below, we’ve a few things you may wish to consider in terms of ingredients. Leeks lend a milder allium experience than onions. Celery imparts a rather clean, almost astringent note. Carrots ensure sweetness. Black peppercorns—just a few, mind you—lend depth of flavor and complexity. Herbs, well, we think that’s sorta obvious. Same goes for garlic. Ginger imparts a warming sharpness that’s a boon to anything Asian, though best used sparely and only with other ingredients such as lemongrass or onion.

Just don’t rely on nothing but bones and water.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken wings, necks, backs, or other parts (raw parts or roasted carcasses)
• 4 smallish carrots, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1 leek, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1 smallish onion, peeled or unpeeled, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 fresh bay leaf (optional)
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• Cold water

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place all of the ingredients in your slow cooker, add enough cold water to cover, and cook on low for at least 12 hours or overnight. You may need to skim the surface toward the beginning of cooking.
2. Strain and let cool completely. Freeze in 1- to 2-cup portions.