Making a homemade stock for the hot pot could not be easier. There are no hard and fast rules to making a stock, only guidelines about the ratio of water to ingredients used to flavour it (three parts water to two parts meat to one part vegetables). Not only are stocks the building blocks of flavour, they are also a great way to reduce food waste. Get creative by using leftover roasts and vegetables, as well as the stems (such a broccoli) and leaves (such as celery) cut from vegetables to build your own unique flavours.
Ingredients
- 3-lb roasted chicken carcass
- 2.6 quarts cold water
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 4 celery stalks, cut into thirds
- 3 large carrots, washed & cut into quarters
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- A few sprigs of parsley, thyme, leek greens, bay leaves Salt to taste
Instructions
Place all ingredients in large pot with cold water (make sure there is enough water to cover all ingredients plus an extra 2 inches). Too little water will not draw enough flavour into the stock and too much water will make the stock taste weak.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 4 hours, straining off any foam and coagulated proteins that form on the surface. Add more water as needed to keep the ingredients covered.
After 4 hours of cooking, strain contents through a colander or fine mesh sieve into a clean pot. Discard solids and season with salt to taste. Let cool slightly, then refrigerate the stock overnight. The next day, remove any fat that has solidified.
The stock can be used immediately, stored in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for 2 months.
VEGETABLE STOCK
For vegetable stock, double all of the vegetables noted above and add other favourites, such as parsnips, fennel and tomato. Reduce the cooking time to 2 hours.
