Homemade Chicken Stock

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Brown the chicken carcass in the oil for just a couple of minutes to bring out more flavor. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic clove. Let them get soft and fragrant for a minute. Pour in the water and add the bay leaves, peppercorns and salt.

Let that mixture come to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Let it simmer gently for 2 hours. When it’s done, take the pot off of the heat and let it cool for 20–30 minutes. Then remove the chicken carcass and as many of the aromatics as possible. Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into containers to make it a clear, gorgeous broth. Refrigerate what you will use immediately and freeze the rest until you need it.

This recipe makes a gallon of chicken stock! Once it is refrigerated or frozen, there will be a film of fat that rises to the top. Skim it off and it is ready to use.