Easy Chicken Stock

3 pounds bony chicken parts (necks, backs, and wings)

3 quarts cold water

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

2 ribs celery, including any leaves, cut into chunks

1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered

5-6 sprigs of parsley

1 Bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme or pinch of dried thyme

4 white peppercorns

2 teaspoons salt

          Put all ingredients in a small stock pot. Bring to a boil. Skim off any scum. Lower the heat to a simmer, and partially cover pot. Cook for two hours, stirring occasionally.

         Remove stock from heat and strain into another pan. Cool slightly. Can be kept in same pan or divided into smaller containers. Store in the refrigerator. When the stock is ready to use, skim off congealed fat. 

TIM'S NOTES: The original recipe calls for bony chicken parts, but any bone in chicken parts will also do. You can leave the skin on. The fat is skimmed off later.  I used a 3 pound whole chicken. Make sure to rinse chicken parts before putting in the pot. After I strained the stock into another pan, I placed the pot in the sink with some cold water, stirring occasionally, to help bring the temperature down quickly. You might have to change the water a couple of times, or you can even add ice to the water to speed up the cooling process.  The faster you can bring the temperature of the stock down, the better. When it was coolish, I divided the stock into two smaller containers before putting it in the refrigerator. This will also help the cooling process. The next day, I was able to skim off the congealed fat. I was expecting this to boil down some, but I probably ended up with 10-11 cups of stock. You can also use any colored peppercorns you may have on hand, rather than just white. I had black. If you do use chicken parts with meat, the meat will be spent, having given all of its flavor to the stock. You can just toss the meat out. I like to be frugal, so I saved the meat, and I might try to jazz it up to make a sandwich spread.