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!