The nights are drawing in. We passed the equinox last week so it’s time for the central heating to go on and for the slow cooker to come out. I’m still not in thrall to my slow cooker but one use I have found for it is making slow cooker chicken stock. Cooking chicken stock can make the house a bit stinky, but our newish slow cooker has a good seal so you can leave it in and forget about it. Once you have tried home made stock, the stock cubes taste really lame. The ingredients are simple and cheap. Making slow cooker chicken stock is a great use for left overs and odd veg that’s hanging about in your fridge so it helps reduce food waste. This recipe should make 2 litres of stock. This can be decanted into 4 containers of 500ml each and then frozen for another day.
Ingredients
Cooked chicken carcass.
Leek
Carrots – 2
Celery stick – 2
Bay leaves – 2 or so
Whole black peppercorns – a few
2 litres of water
Method
If you want to pick over the chicken carcass and take any spare meat off for use, now is the time to do it. Break the carcass into pieces and place into the slow cooker.
Trim your vegetables to remove any suspect bits. Chop the vegetables roughly and add to the slow cooker. Throw in the peppercorns and bay leaves then pour over the 2 litres of water.
Close the lid and set the slow cooker on low for at least 8 hours . The slow cooker chicken stock can be left up to 12 hours or even overnight.
When the slow cooker has finished, allow the stock to cook. Drain though a sieve and discard the bones, veg and bits. You can then pass the liquid through a muslin cloth to make sure you remove all the micro bits or not. It’s up to you. I used to but now I don’t bother.
Decant into containers for freezing if you don’t plan to use it shortly. It should freeze for a month. If you use the takeaway tubs, they hold 500 mls and you can defrost them in the microwave to make risotto, soup or sauce.
If you liked this recipe, have a look at my bottom of the fridge soup recipe: https://cookingwithfi.com/vegetable-soup/
I alos did a video on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81DjAL8IcLQ&t=53s