Last week, I went out to lunch with some neighborhood friends,
but before I did I put components for chicken stock into the slow cooker
and set it to “low,” so that it could simmer all day long. I had gotten a
rotisserie chicken (I find they make absolutely the best stock), had stripped
the meat off of it, and placed all of the remaining parts into the slow cooker.
I surrounded it with carrots, celery, one package of Melissa’s Pearl Onions, that I had carefully rinsed, a variety of fresh herbs and
seasonings, and, on a whim, pulled a package of dried mushrooms out of the
cabinet (in this case, Melissa’s Dried Portobellos), gave them a good rinse, and added them to the pot. Adding the
dried mushrooms made a world of difference. I have never tasted a better
chicken stock than this one! Just looking at the picture here, you can see that
it is rich and loaded with flavor. Any dish that calls for chicken stock will
be greatly enhanced by using this mushroom variety. Keep this in mind the next
time you make stock, adding dried mushrooms is going to benefit it immensely.
Let’s face it, when you go to the effort to make a good chicken stock, you want
to be amply rewarded.
Mushroom Chicken Stock
1 whole chicken or rotisserie chicken*
2-3 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces, with leaves in
tact
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 sprig fresh)
1 teaspoon rubbed sage (or 1 sprig fresh)
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Add cold water to cover. Cook on low for 8 hours. Allow to cool
slightly, and then place a large colander in a large bowl. Pour the stock into the colander, separating
the solids from the liquids. Discard
solids. Pour the stock into jars or containers. I use various sized plastic containers from 1/2 cup up to 3 cups,
so it is premeasured for just about any recipe that I need. If you plan to freeze the stock, leave
about an inch at the top for liquid expansion, otherwise use within three days.
*As rotisserie chickens tend to be highly seasoned, I find that
they yield the most flavorful stock.
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3 comments:
That looks so good - I always save the rotisserie bones because they are the best! Can't wait to see what your soup will be...I have a container of stock in the freezer and need ideas.
When I catered I used to buy rotisserie chickens for all kinds of things and did the same thing with the carcass! I agree they make the very best stock. But I just boiled mine, never thought about using the slow cooker (slapping myself up side of head), which would make so much more sense. The mushroom addition - yum!
There is nothing like a good stock. Although I wouldn't make it chicken stock ( I'm a vegetarian) , I love the idea of the dried mushrooms added to stock.
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