Cooks' note:
Stock keeps, covered and chilled, 1 week, or frozen, 3 months.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 14 cups
Ingredients
16 1/2 cups cold water
1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces, plus neck and giblets (except liver)
2 onions, left unpeeled, halved
2 whole cloves
4 garlic cloves, left unpeeled
1 celery rib, halved
2 carrots, halved
1 teaspoon salt
6 long fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
8 whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
Preparation
Step 1
Bring 16 cups cold water to a boil with chicken pieces (including neck and giblets) in an 8-quart pot, skimming froth. Add remaining 1/2 cup cold water and bring to a simmer, skimming froth. Add remaining ingredients and simmer stock, uncovered, skimming froth, 3 hours.
Step 2
Pour stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids. If using stock right away, skim off and discard any fat. If not, cool stock completely, uncovered, before skimming fat (it will be easier to remove when cool), then chill, covered.
