How to Use Innards for Chicken Stock
Avoid using unhealthy sodium-laden chicken stock bouillon cubes or granules by preparing healthy homemade chicken stock instead. You can create an exceptionally nourishing and wholesome chicken stock at home with the internal organs, or innards, of the bird. The next time you purchase a whole chicken, do not discard the gizzard, heart, neck and kidneys. Cook these innards into a rich chicken stock, which you can use to prepare flavorful soups, gravies and roasts. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Leftover cooked chicken bones and carcass
- Chicken innards (gizzard, heart, neck and kidneys)
- Bowl
- Stockpot
- 1 tbsp. vinegar or lime juice
- 1 finely chopped carrot
- 1 finely chopped small- to medium-sized onion
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 peppercorns
- Strainer or cheesecloth
- Airtight container
Instructions
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1
Set aside portions of raw chicken innards including the gizzard, heart, kidneys and neck. You can also save leftover cooked chicken bones and the carcass. Place the uncooked and cooked chicken portions in a bowl, wash and drain under running water.
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2
Put the raw innards and cooked chicken portions in a stockpot. Fill the stockpot with water so that it covers the chicken. Add 1 tbsp. vinegar or lime juice and let the liquid stand for 30 minutes. The vinegar will help to soften the bones and draw out the flavorful marrow.
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3
Set the stockpot on medium heat. Reduce the heat once the liquid boils. Add one finely chopped carrot and one finely chopped small- to medium-sized onion, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp. salt and 3 peppercorns and simmer for one hour. Use a spoon to occasionally discard the layer of scum that accumulates on the surface of the liquid.
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4
Turn off the heat and let the chicken stock cool. Place a finely meshed strainer or cheesecloth over a large bowl or over another stockpot. Pour the chicken stock through the strainer and strain the liquid.
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5
Discard the chicken innards, bones, vegetables and spices that collect in the strainer. Use the chicken stock liquid as desired or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid adding chicken liver to your stock, because liver lends a bitter flavor.
Always wash your hands with soap and warm water when handling raw poultry.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Dynamic Graphics Group/Dynamic Graphics Group/Getty Images
