I’ve only started to make my own chicken stock here recently and once I started there was no turning back! It’s like the first time you have a good wine and from then on you refuse to drink anything else. “Screw the box wine tonight boys, I’m hitting the Chateau Mouton-Rothschild!” (Not that I’ve had that mind you, but you get my point) Seriously, if you haven’t tried it, it is one of the easiest and most rewarding recipes to do. And with the cold and flu season upon us in full attack what better way to heal a stuffy nose than with real, velvety, homemade chicken soup made with homemade stock like your grandmother or great-grandma used to make.

Homemade Chicken Stock makes 12 cups

• 1 whole chicken, around 5 pounds
• 4 carrots
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed
• 1 yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 small bunch parsley
• 1 Tbs Kosher Salt
• 1 Tbs whole peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• water

Peel the carrots and chop in half along with the celery.

Peel and quarter the onion.

Peel the garlic and leave whole.

Place the chicken (without the giblets) in the bottom of an 8 quart pot. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, parsley (sometimes I use fresh thyme as well), and bay leaf to the pot.

Fill the pot with water until it covers the chicken over about 1 inch.

Add salt.

Add peppercorns. And if you don’t have peppercorns, 1/2 tablespoon ground pepper will work too but it will show in the stock. If you don’t care about that then by all means throw the ground pepper in there.

It’s just so purddy (that’s how we say pretty in Texas)! Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to low to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. With a spoon, skim off any fat or oil that comes to the surface during this time.

Remove the chicken from the pot and remove the meat from the bones. Place the meat in an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for future use. Return the bones to the pot adding water to cover the bones if necessary and continue to simmer for another 40 minutes.

Once finished, strain the stock from the bones and vegetables. Reserve the stock and discard the bones and vegetables.

And there you go. The most luxurious, rich and smooth stock ever.  Allow to cool and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Use the stock for soups, to cook rice and pastas in, or sauces. This is one of those “slap your mama” it’s so good tricks to cooking. Coming up shortly… Chicken, Leek, and Kale Soup with Black Rice Noodles and , you guessed it, homemade chicken stock.