Some roomates and other random people have asked me lately about making a stock (and sometimes I find them making stocks and force some advice on them–they thank me later), so I thought I’d just put some overly simple rules about stock-making up.

So for chicken stock, to use in risotto or as a soup base, liquid for hydrating rice, etc, I like to use the following recipe (but a lot of things are replaceable and variable):

1 organic chicken leg, rinsed
4 stalks of celery, cut in thirds
3-4 carrots, cut in thirds (shorter at thickest part, longer where they are thinner)
1 parsnip, cut like the carrots
3 bay leafs
a large handfull of fresh thyme
3 medium white or yellow onions, quartered and peeled
Tablespoon of salt (to be added later)
a stock pot or pasta pot 3/4 full of COLD good water (brita filtered or bottled)

Always be sure for any kind of stock to start with cold water. If you don’t, you will only cook the vegetables and meat and will not extract the flavor to infuse the water.

Variations on this formula could include varying the meat (a fatty cut of beef like stewing chuck, turkey if it has the skin and some bones (don’t use anything boneless or skinless, of any kind of meat), a different cut of chicken or a whole chicken as long as you make sure there is enough water and the chicken is cleaned, and herbs (you could use marjoram, sage, or anything not delicate like basil, but the bay leafs are pretty important).

So start with everything but the salt in the pot and a lid (the better fitting the better; if your lid does not fit well, put a piece of foil between the lid and the stock), bring it to a boil.. then turn the heat down, loosen the lid (but keep it on) and simmer for at least a half hour. If you intend to use the meat shredded in something or otherwise (though it loses a lot of flavor), then take it out about 10 minutes after you start simmering the broth. You could also remove the meat once it is cooked from the bones and add the bones and fat back to the broth for more simmering. After an hour, your broth is about as good as it will get and you should add the salt, stir and simmer five more minutes, then strain and let cool until at least as cool as luke warm before putting it in the refrigerator or freezing it.

Please note that fish stock and vegetable stock are a little different, though you can make vegetable stock this way by omitting the meat and adding more carrots and celery and parsnip, but I would suggest also adding more herbs if you are making a vegetable stock.