For some odd reason I was i the mood for chicken pot pie. It’s been a bit hot outside these last few days (in the 90s) but there is still that feeling of Fall in the air. Chicken Pot Pie is like the epitome of comfort food, don’t you agree?

Well I left work late and didn’t get home until about 7:45 after a trip to the market. But as I say down and took my shoes off from work and sat on the couch, I realized that I wasn’t going to have pot pies tonight. Well, unless I had the Swansons variety. Tonight I had to make chicken stock. This would give me two items I would need to make pot pies: shredded chicken and home made chicken stock.

Many of you probably ask, why go thru all the trouble of making stock when you can go and buy fairly good stock at the market? My answer, when you have time to make stock, take advantage of it. I can’t even tell you how the apartment smelled tonight as the stock was simmering on the stove. The final product is stock that was made with the freshest ingredients and with care. It will always taste better than anything you could buy in a box at the market. Trust me.

Chicken Stock

1 whole chicken (3-5 lbs) (organic preferred)
2 small onions – quartered, skin on ok
3 carrots -cut into chunks, no need to peel
4 celery ribs – cut into chunks 
1 head of garlic – sliced horizontally in half, no need to peel) 
10 whole peppercorns
Several sprigs (6) each of Thyme, Italian Parsley and Rosemary
2 bay leaves 
Cold water
8-12 quart pot

Take your chicken and place in the pot. Fill with COLD water and fill to about two inches above the top of the chicken. You’ll probably be close to the top of your pot.

Next add the onions, celery, garlic, peppercorns and herbs to the water. Turn the stove up to HIGH and when you see the water start to form small bubbles around the edge of the water, turn the heat down to about a med/med-low and let simmer for about 2 to 2.5 hours. Some schools of thought say simmer for 6 hours, but in my opinion, for this amount of stock, 2-2.5 hours is sufficient. Do NOT cover your pot.

After about 2.5 hours, you will see that the “stock” has taken on a nice color. Next you’ll want to take the chicken out of the stock. Place it in a container that has sides and set aside. 

Next, being careful (we’re talking about hot stock here) pour the stock into a large bowl with a strainer on top to catch all the solids in the stock.  Once that is done, discard the solids and let the stock cool down. Cool the stock down until it is warm then you can store it in your fridge for up to 2 days or 2 months in the freezer. 

The freezer you ask?? You bet! I have 1 quart containers with sealed lids and I keep then in the freezer. Whenever I need stock I find that 1 qt is sufficient for most recipes. I take the frozen stock and place in a sauce pan and just melt it down. Other ideas is to fill ice cube trays with them. When they have solidified, place the “ice” in a zip lock bag and take what you need when you need them.

Oh, one more thing. I like to put mine in the fridge overnight after it has cooled down. The next morning, you will see a layer of solidified “fat” on the top. Discard the fat, then do what you want with the stock.

NOTE: If you recall, we put no salt in this. Whatever you do, don’t. Add the salt in your final recipe, not in the stock.

How easy was that? Now that chicken. A whole chicken can yield a good amount of shredded chicken. Once the bird has cooled down, you can start shredding the chicken. The best tool for this? Your two hands. If it is too messy, you can wear some gloves. The medical latex or vinyl ones will work fine, just make sure they don’t have that “powder” stuff on them. Otherwise I can’t be responsible.

The skin will just slide right off with your hands and start taking chucks of the chicken and shred, shred, shred! :) Doing it with your fingers also lets you feel the chicken and discard any fat, skin or tough rubbery pieces. 

So now I have enought shredded chicken for my pot pies that I will make this weekend and I’ll have enough for tacos and a small chicken salad!

Enjoy!

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