When I make chicken noodle soup, if I'm pressed for time or just feeling lazy, I'll use pre-made chicken stock. But since I have nothing better to do (and my lower back is killing me from spending all day on the couch yesterday) I figured I'd go the extra mile and make some homemade chicken stock. The recipe I used is not difficult but it asks that you simmer the stock for 6 to 8 hours! I have nothing but time today so I decided to jump right in.
I modified the chicken stock recipe just a bit. Instead of using raw chicken, I roasted the full chicken (that had been cut into 8 pieces by the butcher) in a 425F oven with a mixture of aromatic herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano) and salt & pepper for approximately 40 minutes (or until the meat thermometer read 180F). When the chicken had cooled, I pulled the meat from the bones (to be used in the chicken noodle soup) and placed the bones in the stock pot with the already cooking vegetables. I find that roasting the chicken before using the bones in the stock gives it a much richer and heartier flavor.
My chicken stock has been simmering almost 4 hours now and my apartment smells wonderful! With the wet and dreary weather outside, the warm smells from the bubbling pot are so soothing to my recovering body. Since the chicken noodle soup made from this delicious stock won't be finished till dinnertime, I'll post the rest of the recipe tomorrow.
What are your thoughts on homemade soup stocks? I enjoy the process of cooking so, if I have the time, I don't mind making stock from scratch. Although it is waaaaay easier to just pop open a box of chicken stock and get cooking!
mmmmm! Looks delish!!
ReplyDeleteI have never made anything but a veggie stock!! I should try a chicken!
That soup looks and sounds totally amazing! I am definitely with you on the pre-roasting. I never noticed a difference growing up with my grandma's chicken and dumplings [she just boils the whole thing] but the flavors are so much more rich and intense if you roast first.
ReplyDeleteI love making my own stocks, and the flavor is definitely worth the time investment, I'm just not very good at remembering to save the leftover bones and bits. And if I don't use the stock right away it'll never make it's way out of the freezer :)