Chicken Stock/Soup

[Jaeger]

Not really a game question, but a cooking question.

 

I have saved up 4 frozen large roaster chicken carcases and want to make my own chicken soup.  Last winter was brutal!!  And today is a good day to cook something up, cold and raw with one deer already in the freezer.

 

Do I make stock first and throw away the vegetables and then use the stock with new vegetable to make the soup or can I do it all at once?

 

Any good chicken soup cooks out there got any advice?

Edited December 3, 2015 by Jaeger

[Paula]

I do stock first, I want all the bits of meat and flavor. I do add garlic and onion to it. i strain it then cool in fridge over night so that i can get the fat off it. Then go from there. 

Sometimes i do have a few carcasses i do at once then i freeze some of the stock for later

[Uncle Nicky]

Do I make stock first and throw away the vegetables and then use the stock with new vegetable to make the soup or can I do it all at once?

 

 

The way I was taught in school was make a stock with bones and vegetable trimmings first, strain it, take all the fat off, then add meat and vegetables to make soup. But it really doesn't make a big difference. The most important factor is simmering (rather than boiling) the bones, and simmering for at least 4 hours. Good stock should be like jello once refrigerated. 

[DirtTime]

Pretty much the same here as Paula. The only difference is I only strain the fat off if I plan to freeze it for a later date. I simmer for a few hours, strain it, pull the meat of the carcass, and then I simmer the stock and meat with garlic, onion powder, paprika, , salt, pepper, basil, a touch of chili powder, and a few bay leaves.

[Otto]

Everyone has their own recipe for chicken soup. This is the one my mother used for years and years. Simple and easy to make, it is our family tradition to have when returning from a long trip or extended absense.

Place whole chicken in large pot. (Be sure to remove giblets, etc). Cover with water one or two inches above the chicken.

Slowly bring to a boil, skimming fat off the top. Once water is at boiling temp, reduce heat to a simmer.

Add 2 or 3 whole carrots, whole large onion, and 1 or 2 stalks of celery.

Add 2 cups tomato puree.

Simmer up to 2 to 3 hours.

Remove chicken, set aside.

Remove vegetables and slice carrots into small pieces. Put 1 piece of celery and some of the onion in a blender with some of the liquid. Puree until smooth and return to the pot. Discard remaining celery and onion. This adds a little body to the soup.

Bring to a boil and add 1/2 pound small pasta such as tubitini, ditalini, or pastina. Even broken pieces of spaghetti will do.

Cook pasta until done (read directions on pasta box)

This step is optional, I add 1 egg and 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese beaten together into the hot liquid just before serving. The raw egg will cook quickly.

If you like your chicken in the soup, carve and add small pieces of chicken back into the liquid. We usually leave the chicken whole, eat the soup and pasta first, then carve off slices of chicken and eat that after. (A few shakes of salt help flavor the chicken)

This is a good recipe for "curing the common cold" or upset stomachs, etc.... To add more flavor, I chop fresh parsley and a sundried tomato and add in with the vegetables. I usually leave it out though.

Edited December 4, 2015 by Otto

[The_Real_TCIII]

I always add a couple chicken bouillon cubes, just boiling a carcass never has enough flavor.

I made a good pot of turkey soup with the thanksgiving bird