Kitch n Therapy

Making a homemade chicken stock is well worth the effort.  Although rigid recipes are not necessary for stocks, there are a few vital factors to know:

• Use a stock pot which is taller than it is wide.  This allows for slower evaporation and less time replacing liquid.
• Start with COLD water for the most flavor.  Cold water won’t immediately cook the proteins from the bones like hot water.  Because protein is water soluable, cold water will allow the protein to float to the top where it can be skimmed off.
• Bring to a boil quickly and then immediately turn down to a simmer.  If the stock is boiled, the fat will emulsify into the stock and creak a cloudy, fatty stock.
• No salt ever in the initial making of stock.
• Cook quickly with a cold water bath and refrigerate immediately.  If you must refrigerate it in small containers, then use only containers 3 1/2 inches in depth.  Stock can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days, and in the freezer for one month.
• Boil any stock that has been stored before using it.

The best part of the chicken for stock is the cartilage because this is 100% protein and will dissolve into stock and be gelatinous.  If you have a source for chicken carcasses, including necks and backs but no liver,  then use the carcasses without meat attached.  Otherwise you may use a whole chicken and after approximately 50 minutes of simmering, remove as much of the meat as possible and return bones, etc to the stock.

Practical Recipe for Chicken Stock

2 chicken carcasses, including necks, no livers.  Or 2 whole chickens, no livers.

Add to tall stockpot with the next ingredients:

Mirepoix mixture consisting of 2 parts onions, 1 parts carrots, and 1 part celery (rough cut).

• The Mirepoix should be 1/8 amount as the bones, or for example if you have 2 pounds of bones then use 1/4 pound of  Mirepox.
• For 2 chicken carcasses, approximately,  2 onions, quartered; 1 carrot, cut into 1-inch slice, and 1 rib of celery, cut into 1-inch pieces.

Bouquet Garni including a sachet of Thyme, Bay leaves, Parsley stems, and Pepper Corns.
Whole clove of Garlic.
Cold water to cover.

Bring to boil quickly, skim, and then reduce heat to simmer.
Simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours, adding hot water as necessary to keep vegetables covered.

Strain stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a large soup pot.  Cool immediately by placing in a sink filled with ice water.

Voilà!

Serves six to eight

If you would like to make this less rich, use less cream and more milk.

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 medium yellow onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
4 ounces grated Gruyere cheese (about 1 cup)
2 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1/2 cup)
3 pounds russet potatoes (6 to 7 medium)
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
Optional:  2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and hear the oven to 350 degrees F.  LIne a rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with 2 teaspoons of butter.

Pour the milk and cream into a small saucepan.  Add the garlic, rosemary, and nutmeg.  Bring just to a simmer, cover, and remove from the heat.  Set aside to infuse for at least 20 minutes.  Combine the Gruyere and Parmigiano in a bowl.

Sauté sliced onions in 2 teaspoons of butter until softened.

Peel the potatoes and, using a mandoline or your sharpest knife, slice them into 1/8-inch-thick rounds.  Arrange about one-third of the potatoes in a single overlapping layer in the baking dish, season with kosher salt and white pepper, top with one-half of the sautéed onions, then layer with one-third of the Gruyere-Parmigiano mix.  Add a second overlapping layer of potatoes, more salt and white pepper, the second half of the onions, and anther third of the cheese mixture, and scatter over goat cheese.  Make a third layer with the remaining potatoes and season with salt and white pepper.  Press down lightly to compact the layers.

Remove the garlic and rosemary from the infused cream, and discard them.  Pour the cream over the potatoes and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Cover the top of the Potato Gratin with buttered wax paper and foil.  Set the baking dish on the foil-lined baking sheet, and bake until potatoes are tender when poked with a skewer, approximately 1 hour.  Remove the foil and wax paper and bake until top is golden and liquid has bubbled down, approximately 15 to 30 minutes more.  Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.