There are some things I can count on every year–cold Chicago winters, asparagus pushing up in the early spring, amazing berries from my favorite farmer in June and, during the month of Elul, the ritual discussion of chicken soup. Everyone loves chicken soup. And everyone loves talking about making it. And I’ve certainly heard it all: bouillon cubes added for extra flavor, boiling whole chickens, and using only chicken breasts to cut down on fat, to name just a few. I try to listen politely, but sometimes you just have to talk turkey—er, chicken.

First, let’s set the record straight:

• Chicken soup should not cost a fortune, nor should you be left with tons of boiled chicken afterward. In other words, you don’t need to boil a whole chicken to make chicken soup. How’s that possible? Bones have the collagen stored up inside of them. The collagen and gelatin that is extracted during a long simmer is what gives soup that wonderful mouth-watering feel. Boiling whole chickens will possibly yield some of that richness, but first the meat must cook and then the bones can be cooked. So, if you put several whole chickens in a pot of water, first the meat cooks and then finally the bones cook. And what you’ll end up with will be “dirty water” chicken soup. A full extraction must be made or the soup is bland and watery.
• Cutting up a chicken is easier than you think. (click here to learn how) And it’s well worth the effort. For one, you’ll have more options for cooking. You won’t be forced to use a whole chicken if that’s not what you need. Secondly, you can use the chicken meat/parts instead of ordering the parts separately from the butcher—which is pricier. Third, you can store the bones in large plastic bags in your freezer and then, throughout the year, you can make a big batch of chicken stock. I use my stock in soups, sauces and many other recipes.
• Forget about bouillon cubes. Chicken stock is flavorful enough. I never purchase broth and have never used a bouillon cube. The cubes are loaded with salt, fat and artificial flavoring. I would never feed that to anyone I cared about. And making homemade chicken soup is all about caring.
• Just simmer the bones—not whole chickens or chicken parts. Chicken stock is a richly flavored extraction of collagen and chicken flavor. It is made buy gently simmering chicken bones and mire poix (fragrant vegetables and spices) in water.
• Don’t add salt. As the stock evaporates, the salt would become concentrated and could result in an overly salty stock. The stock would be hard to use in sauces or soups as it would add salt to every recipe. It is a professional technique to add salt to each dish as you make it. Never use a salty base or stock.
• Just remove the fat, heat and serve. Chicken soup is the table-ready product from a deeply flavored stock. The soup is perfectly salted, strained of its congealed fat and is garnished with parsley, matzah balls, kreplach or whatever.

Got it? Good. Now, onto the recipe:

Dark Chicken Stock Recipe

This is an incredibly rich stock with full flavor and deep color. It is great for wine sauces and dark-colored soups.

Quick Tip
This stock can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, up to 5 days, or frozen for 3 months

Ingredients

3-4 pounds of chicken bones (wings, carcasses, necks)
1 medium Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 celery stock, coarsely chopped
Leek greens (from 1 medium leek)
1 thyme sprig
5 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
3 quarts water

Preparation Time:

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spread the chicken bones in a roasting pan and roast until dark brown, about 45 minutes.

Transfer the bones from the pan to a large stockpot.

Drain off and discard any fat remaining in the pan, and add the onions, carrots, celery, and leek greens. Roast the vegetables until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the stockpot.

Place the roasting pan over a medium flame and add a little water to the pan. Scrape off the browned bits (fond) with a rubber spatula. Add the dissolved fond to the stockpot (it’s loaded with flavor).

Add the thyme, parsley, and bay leaf to the stockpot. Cover the bones and vegetable with water just to the top of the bones. Place over medium heat and simmer uncovered for 3 ½ hours.

Strain off the stock and discard the bones and vegetables. Cool the stock completely to room temperature before refrigerating, covered. Ladle off the fat from the top of the stock it has solidified, about 6 hours or overnight. Stock can be transferred to a small containers or resealable plastic bags for storing in the refrigerator or freezer.