Chicken Stock and Chicken Broth
What's the difference between chicken stock and chicken broth?
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time6 hours hrs
Total Time6 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 quarts
Chicken Stock
- 3 pounds Meaty chicken bones””thighs wings, backs””or a whole chicken carcass from a roast chicken
- 1 medium onion halved
- 2 celery ribs cut in half
- 1 large carrot scrubbed and cut in half
- 1 head garlic cut in half
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 peppercorns
- 5 stems parsley and/or thyme
- 4 quarts water cold
Chicken Broth
- 3 pounds chicken dark meat
- 1 medium onion halved
- 2 celery ribs cut in half
- 1 large carrot scrubbed and cut in half
- 1 head garlic cut in half
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 peppercorns
- 5 stems parsley and/or thyme
- 4 quarts water cold
- salt to taste
For both of these recipes, the procedure is the same.
Place all the ingredients in a stock pot.
Cover all with cold water
Slowly bring up to a simmer.
Simmer stock for 6 hours; broth for 2 hours (it takes longer to extract all the gelatin from the bones than it does flavor from the meat)
Add salt to the broth, to taste
Strain the liquids using a fine mesh strainer and discard the meat, bones, spices, and vegetables.
*For a full-bodied and meaty stock/broth, use 3 pounds of bones plus 1-2 pounds of meat.
After all this, I’m not really sure that I have cleared up the debate for you. I do know that, when I have the time, I will always choose homemade broth or stock over canned, mostly because I can control the ingredients and the amount of salt I add.
We’ll also have to talk more about those bouillon cubes that are so salty with some chicken flavor added and should be avoided at all costs.