Soup is on.......Chicken stock

I often mention chicken stock in my recipes. Here is a quick way to make your own homemade stock the old fashioned way. I am all about soup right now and the rainy fall weather plus soup is a winner. Next time you are at the store buy yourself a whole uncooked chicken. We buy boneless skinless breasts so many times we forget that chickens have a whole body they willingly give up for our nourishment.

Put chicken in a large pot and cover with water; add 2 tsp salt and boil the entire bird for about 35 minutes until fully cooked. Take the chicken out of the pot while saving every drop of the water/drippings left behind. Let the bird cool, than remove the skin and peel off all the meat you can. Set the meat aside for soups, casseroles whatever you like. Throw all bones and the carcass of the chicken back into the pot with the drippings. Add the following...

2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped in 1 inch pieces
2 potatoes, skins on, chopped in 2 inch pieces
1/2 stalk celery, chopped with leaves included
1 small onion, peeled and chopped

Let this caldron of flavor boil for 45 minutes. Your entire house will smell wonderful. When done, strain the liquid into another pot or large bowl. DO NOT throw away any juice. The juice is the stock. From the colander, pick out the chicken bones and any skin left behind-throw these away. Take the veggies and save them, they play a very important role in any of my soups (a thickening agent that is to die for.)

You now have the single best homemade chicken stock known to mankind. (In my circle at least) You can use this anywhere you need chicken stock or broth. Gravy made from this mix is simply the best gravy you have ever had. I let the stock cool and divide it up into quarts that I poor into large ziplock bags and freeze. This way you take out what you want when you need it.

I will be posting soup recipes in the next few days. Chicken Tortilla, Chicken Noodle, Tomato Basil, Pumpkin Squash, Beef veggie.....I love this time of year. Gandy