Tip of the Week brought to you by Robert Reynolds’ Chefs Studio
Your Famous Chicken Stock – Grandma’s chicken soup is built on good stock. To make stock, all you need is one onion (or the greens from the tops of leeks), one carrot, one celery stalk, 3 stems parsley, 2 stems thyme, one bay leaf, a sprinkle of salt, and of course one chicken. Chop the vegetables coarsely and toss them together with the herbs in a pot big enough for the chicken, but not too much bigger.Break down the chicken into leg, wing and body pieces. Remove the breast meat, but save it for another use (you can also freeze it for later). Layer the pieces as flat as you can in the pot on top of the vegetables.Cover with water by only 2 inches and add a sprinkle of salt.Heat over a medium-high flame until boiling, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer.Periodically skim off the brown foam that comes to the surface. Simmer the stock for about an hour or an hour and a half. Strain the stock through a colander and let it cool, then place it in the refrigerator uncovered. When the stock cools completely, the fat will be a solid layer on top and will be easy to remove. Use the meat from the stock to make chicken salad.
