kilikini wrote:
> "S'mee in WA" > wrote in message
> ...
> > One time on Usenet, "pjjehg" > said:
> > > "S'mee in WA" wrote ...
> >
> > > > I'm planning to try something new next week that involves removing
> > > > the skin from a whole chicken (which I've never done before). Should
> > > > I save the skin for something else, or just pitch it?
> > >
> > > I toss it in with the bones when I make broth/soup. You always skin the
> fat
> > > anyway.
> >
> > Thanks, Pam -- I rarely make homemade soup, but I'm remembering
> > my mother's chicken soup fondly, so maybe I'll try it...
> >
> >
>
> But it doesn't just have to be chicken soup that the stock ends up in!
> Gosh, I add stock to rice, I add it to potatoes, I use it to make gravy, I
> throw a chunk of frozen stock in stir-fry. I *do* make chicken soup, but I
> also use the broth in cream of mushroom, cream of asparagus, cream of
> broccoli. I'll add a little of it to a roux, I'll steam veggies in it, the
> uses are endless! I can't keep the stuff in the house. It also smells
> wonderful when you cook stock; I love making it and having it sit for a
> couple hours before my husband comes home so when he walks through the door
> the enticing aroma immediately brings a smile to his face.
>
> For me, making stock is a full day process. I start early in the morning by
> boiling the bones down with carrots, onion, celery, garlic cloves, salt,
> pepper, sage, thyme and maybe a little oregano. When the bones get soft, I
> let the stock cool for quite a while before I strain it in a collander,
> catching all the bones and mushy veggies. Then I put it in the fridge to
> solidify, making skimming the fat off much easier.
>
> If I'm making soup, I don't throw out the strained goodies; I pick the
> remaining meat off the bones and add it to my stock. In any case, the
> remaining meat you get off the bones can always be used for chicken tacos or
> what have you.
>
> kili

I make chicken stock a couple of times a year, make it into ice cubes
and save them in a plastic bag for use for the next 6 months or so in
all kinds of recipes. I also have beef stock and fish stock. They add a
delighful depth to the flavor of so many dishes.
The last 2 Thanksgivings I cooked duck, from the meat market, instead
of turky. My three sons raved about it! And I made duck stock from the
bones and leftover fat (there wasn't a gram of leftover meat!) that was
delicious!