Basic Chicken Stock No. 214

2 lbs chicken scraps, including some bones
2 quarts cold water, to cover
1 large onion, peeled and stuck with
4 cloves
1 large garlic clove, peeled
2 ribs celery, halved crosswise, with leaves if available
2 carrots, cut into chunks
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs parsley, or
1 tbls parsley flakes, dried
1 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp dillweed
salt, if desired, to taste
12 peppercorns, or
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Place all the ingredients in a large pot with a cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat. Partially cover the pot. Simmer for at least 1 hour. The longer the stock cooks, the richer it will become. But don't cook it until the broth evaporates.Pour the stock through a fine strainer, sieve or cheesecloth into a fat separating measuring cup, bowl or other suitable container. Press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. If using the fat skimmer, decant the fat-free broth into containers for storage. Otherwise, refrigerate the broth until the fat hardens enough for easy removal. (Depending on the amount of gelatinous protein in the chicken scraps, the broth may gel at refrigerator temperatures.) Yields 5 Cups

Posted by Joel Ehrlich to rec.food.recipes on Feb 15, 1998.