Chef Johns Homemade Chicken Stock Food

CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Place chicken, vegetables, and herbs and spices in 12-quart stockpot. Set opened steamer basket directly on ingredients in pot and pour over water. Cook on high heat until you begin to see bubbles break through the surface of the liquid. Turn heat down to medium low so that stock maintains low, gentle simmer. Skim the scum from the stock with a spoon or fine mesh strainer every 10 to 15 minutes for the first hour of cooking and twice each hour for the next 2 hours. Add hot water as needed to keep bones and vegetables submerged. Simmer uncovered for 6 to 8 hours.
• Strain stock through a fine mesh strainer into another large stockpot or heatproof container discarding the solids. Cool immediately in large cooler of ice or a sink full of ice water to below 40 degrees. Place in refrigerator overnight. Remove solidified fat from surface of liquid and store in container with lid in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days or in freezer for up to 3 months. Prior to use, bring to boil for 2 minutes. Use as a base for soups and sauces.

RICH CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Combine chicken bones, onions, celery, and carrots in a large roasting pan; toss with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast until the bones and vegetables are a rich golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer the bones and vegetables to a large stockpot, add 12 cups cold water, and the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 4 hours, skimming the scum that rises to the top with a ladle every 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a mesh strainer into a clean pot. Place back on the stove over high heat and cook until reduced by half. Use immediately or let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

CHEF JOHN'S HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK

Steps:

• Combine chicken, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf in a large stockpot; pour water into pot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, being careful not to let the mixture come to a boil. Once simmering, skim off any foam or impurities that accumulate on the surface of the water and reduce the heat to low.
• Gently simmer the mixture on low for 12 hours, skimming off any foam as needed.
• Remove stockpot from heat and let cool for 1 hour.
• Pour stock through a fine strainer and transfer to food-safe containers.

ROASTED CHICKEN BROTH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place chicken, onion, and celery in a Dutch oven. Sprinkle salt over the top of the chicken.
• Roast chicken, uncovered, in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink inside, the skin is browned, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Transfer chicken to a plate until cool enough to handle. Once cool, pick the meat from the bones; set aside chicken breast meat in a bowl for another purpose. Cover bowl of breast meat with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Discard chicken skin.
• Remove chicken fat from Dutch oven, leaving the brown flavor bits in the bottom of the Dutch oven. (See note for reserving drippings if desired.)
• Place the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Return chicken bones and dark meat from drumsticks and thighs to the pot. Add garlic cloves, ketchup and cold water. Bring to a boil, and use a spoon to scrape up and dissolve the brown flavor bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 hours, adding more water if needed to retain same level.
• As broth simmers, occasionally skim off and discard any foam that rises to the surface.
• Remove and discard bones, meat and vegetables. Strain broth through a fine mesh sieve to serve or use in recipes.

CHEF JOHN'S HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Stir in carrot, onion, celery, salt, and fresh thyme. Stir in chicken fat; cook and stir until the onions turn soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Stir in roasted chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Season to taste with salt, if necessary; stir in egg noodles and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in cooked chicken breast meat and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper to taste.

PAUL PRUDHOMME'S HOPPIN' JOHN

Steps:

• Combine seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
• Place bacon in a large ovenproof pot and cook over high heat until bacon begins to brown, about 6 minutes.
• Stir in 2 cups onions, 1 cup peppers, 1 cup celery, 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon seasoning mix, bay leaves, and half the peas.
• Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and 2 cups stock.
• Scrape bottom of pot.
• Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
• Add 1 cup stock and scrape bottom of pot.
• Add sausage, 6 cups stock, remaining onions, remaining peppers, remaining celery, remaining peas, and remaining seasoning mix.
• Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until peas are tender, about 1 1/4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Stir in rice and remaining stock.
• Bring to a boil over high heat.
• Cover pot and bake in oven 15 minutes.