Chicken Stock
A light, clear stock from a roast chicken carcass and vegetables. The best base for soups, risotto and sauces.
makes 50 cubes, about 3p each
- Time
- 3 hr10 min prep · 2 hr 50 min cook
- Makes
- 50 cubes
- Cost per cubePer cube
- 3p
- Calories per cubeCalories
- 10 kcal
- A serving
- 4 cubes
- Spice
- 1 of 5
You’ll need
- 1 (600g)roast chicken carcass, plus any bones
- 2 (200g)carrots, chopped
- 1 (150g)onion, halved
- 2 sticks (100g)celery
- 1 (150g)leek, chopped
- 4 cloves (20g)garlic, bashed
- 2gblack peppercorns, bay and thyme
- 2.5Lcold water
Allergens: Celery. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.
Use it for
Risotto for one: 4 cubes plus 300ml water · 4 cubes; Quick noodle soup · 6 cubes; Boost for gravy or a pan sauce · 2 cubes
Method
- Step 1: Put everything in a large pan, cover with the cold water and bring slowly to a simmer. Skim off any foam.
- Step 2: Simmer very gently, uncovered, for 2½ to 3 hours. Don't let it boil hard or it turns cloudy.
- Step 3: Strain through a sieve and discard the bones and veg.
- Step 4: Cool quickly, then chill and lift off the fat.
- Step 5: Pour into 30ml trays and freeze.
| kcal | protein | carbs | fat | fibre | salt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per cube | 10 | 0.8g | 1.1g | 0.3g | 0.3g | 0.02g |
| Per 4 cubes | 40 | 3.2g | 4.4g | 1.2g | 1.2g | 0.08g |
Cook’s notes
- Straight from frozen into the pan.
- It's unsalted, so season the dish you use it in.
- Keep a bag of carcasses and veg peelings in the freezer until you have enough.
Use it for
- Risotto for one: 4 cubes plus 300ml water · 4 cubes
- Quick noodle soup · 6 cubes
- Boost for gravy or a pan sauce · 2 cubes
Freeze, reheat and serve
- Freeze
- Cool it within two hours, freeze it in 30ml ice-cube trays, then bag and label the cubes. It keeps for 6 months.
- Use from frozen
- Straight from frozen into the pan. Never refreeze thawed cubes.
- A portion
- 4 cubes is a serving: about 40 kcal.
Chicken Stock questions
Can I use raw chicken bones?
Raw wings, backs or a raw carcass all work and give a richer stock that sets to a jelly when cold. Roast them until browned first for a deeper colour and flavour.
Why skim the stock?
The grey foam that rises as the stock heats is protein from the bones. Lifting it off keeps the stock clear and clean-tasting.
Can I reduce it to save freezer space?
After straining and removing the fat, simmer the stock until it has reduced by half, then freeze it as normal. Add an equal amount of water to the cubes when you use them.
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Updated . Nutrition, costs and yields are estimates.