This is a variation of regular chicken stock. It is very useful in many recipes calling for beef or veal stock. When you need a sauce for game, roast lamb or any dark sauce for a roast you can use this recipe.
The recipe is almost the same as regular light chicken stock with the main difference that you brown the bones, vegetables and add tomatoes, mushrooms and onion skins which all help to contribute color.
The rich brown color from caramelizing the vegetables and bones gives the stock a fuller and stronger flavor. One word of caution – do not add any ingredients that are black and burned as they will make your stock bitter.
When using dark chicken stock for beef, lamb, turkey or other meat, brown some scraps of that meat and simmer in the stock for added flavor as well as using pan drippings from roasts it is being used for.
You want the bones to be free from cartilage – then your stock is done.
It is a good idea to reduce some of your dark stock and freeze it in ice cube trays and store frozen in zip lock bags so you can pop a cube in your sauce to give it a lift.
Dark Chicken stock
Course: basic steps, building blocks, poultryDifficulty: easy4
quarts15
minutes5
hours300
kcal5
hours15
minutesIngredients
2 lbs 2 chicken bones
2 Tbs 2 vegetable oil
1 lg 1 onion
1 lg 1 carrot
4 ribs 4 celery
1/2 med 1/2 leek
3 sprigs 3 parsley
2 cloves 2 garlic
1 lg 1 tomato
1/2 cup 1/2 mushrooms
4 sprigs 4 thyme or 1 tsp dried
4 whole 4 bay leaves
6 whole 6 black peppercorns
4 quarts 4 water
Directions
- Gather all ingredients and equipment
- Wash the vegetables and peel the carrots and garlic. Peel the onions as well but reserve the skins as they will help turn the stock dark. Chop the vegetables in 1 inch pieces.
- Turn oven to 425 degrees F, spread chicken bones in a single layer on sheet pan and roast for 45 -60 minutes, until caramel brown. Flip pieces throughout cooking to get color on both sides.
- Heat the oil in the sauté pan over medium heat and add the vegetables slowly stir and cook until browned and caramelized (do not burn).
- Put the browned chicken bones and vegetables in the stock pot along with the seasoning. Add a cup of water to the roasting pan to scrape out any browned pieces stuck to the pan and scrape it into the pot with the bones and vegetables. Repeat with a cup of water in the vegetable pan to scrape out all the good little pieces.
- Add the water to the stock pot with all the ingredients, bring it almost to a boil but do not boil. Lower to a simmer.
- As the stock starts to cook, some foam will collect on the surface, carefully skim it off and discard. Keep cooking the stock for 3.5-4 hours. When the bones no longer stick together in the joints and the cartilage has cooked off the joints the stock is ready. Turn off the heat and let it settle for 15-20 minutes.
- Ladle the stock through the strainer into the bowl avoiding the bottom sediment. Discard bones and sediment.
Strain stock a second time and either skim off the fat or refrigerate and scoop the fat off the surface the next day.
Your stock is now ready for use or storage.
Equipment
- Lg sheet pan
- sauté pan
- 8-12 qt soup/stock pot
- peeler
- paring knife
- chefs knife
- cutting board
- lg stirring spoon
- ladle
- fine mesh strainer
- 1 qt measuring cup
- 6-8 qt bowl
