Basic Chicken Stock

Everything you need is already on your counter. One leftover carcass, four humble vegetables, and a few patient hours — that’s all it takes to make something truly remarkable.

Prep Time	10 minutes	Cook Time	3–4 hours
Yield	~2 litres	Difficulty	Very easy

There’s something almost magical about transforming what you’d otherwise throw away into something your future self will be deeply grateful for. A roast chicken carcass — stripped of meat, looking rather sorry for itself — still holds an enormous amount of flavour locked away in its bones, cartilage, and skin. All it needs is time, water, and a few kitchen staples to give it all up.

This is the kind of recipe that runs itself. You do ten minutes of prep, light the stove, and let the pot do the rest. By the time it’s done, your kitchen will smell incredible, and you’ll have a rich, golden stock that makes shop-bought cartons taste like dishwater.

What You’ll Need

• • 1 leftover chicken carcass
  • 1 large onion, halved (no need to peel — the skin adds colour)
  • 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
  • 2–3 litres cold water
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1–2 bay leaves
  • Salt, to taste (add at the end, or leave unsalted for storage)

Pro Tip: No need to peel the onion. The papery skin adds a beautiful amber colour to your stock — leave it on.

How to Make It

1. Build your pot. Place the chicken carcass into your largest pot or stockpot. Break it up a little if it’s too big — snapping it in half is perfectly fine and helps it fit. Add the halved onion, chopped carrot, celery, peppercorns, and bay leaves.
2. Cover with cold water. Pour in enough cold water to fully submerge everything — usually around 2–3 litres. Starting with cold (not hot) water is important: it draws the flavour and collagen out of the bones slowly and gently, giving you a clearer, richer stock.
3. Bring to a gentle boil and skim. Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. As it heats up, you’ll notice a grey-ish foam rising to the surface — that’s just proteins releasing from the bones. Skim it off with a spoon or ladle. This takes about 5 minutes and gives you a cleaner-tasting stock.
4. Turn it down and leave it. Reduce the heat to low. You want the stock to barely simmer — just a few lazy bubbles breaking the surface. A rolling boil will make it cloudy. Low and slow is the rule. Partially cover with a lid and leave it to work its magic.
5. Simmer for 3–4 hours. The longer it goes, the deeper the flavour. Top up with a splash of water if the level drops too low. Your kitchen will smell wonderful throughout.
6. Strain and finish. When the stock is a rich golden colour and tastes savoury and full-bodied, it’s ready. Turn off the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or a colander lined with a clean tea towel into a large bowl or jug. Discard the solids.
7. Season and store. Taste and season lightly with salt if using straight away — or leave it unsalted if storing, so you can control seasoning in your recipes later. Cool fully before refrigerating or freezing.

Storage Tips

Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Ice cube trays work brilliantly for small amounts. A layer of fat may solidify on top in the fridge — simply lift it off with a spoon. That fat is wonderful for roasting potatoes.

Ways to Use Your Stock

Once you have homemade stock in the house, you’ll find yourself reaching for it constantly. The depth it adds to everyday cooking is genuinely hard to overstate. Try it in:

• Risotto
• French onion soup
• Gravy and pan sauces
• Ramen broth
• Chicken noodle soup
• Rice (use stock instead of water)
• Braised greens
• Minestrone
• Pot pie filling

The next time you pull apart a roast chicken, resist the urge to bin the carcass. You’re holding the foundation of some of the best meals you’ll cook this week. Bag it, refrigerate it, and make this stock within two days — your future self will thank you.