Chicken Stock

January 30, 2004

Finally got my copy of NT, I've been flipping through it here and there and

having fun. Making chicken stock today, and I have a question ... she

says that if you're using a whole chicken, to cut off the neck and the

wings and cut those into smaller pieces. So the question is - why just

the neck and wings? Is there something different about their composition

that you want them in smaller pieces to extract? Or am I just reading

the recipe completely wrong and she really means to cut the whole thing up?

Thanks. Silly question, maybe, but I get curious. I probably ask

" Why? " more now than I did when I was two.

MFJ

Any moment in which you feel like dancing is a perfect moment.

January 30, 2004

Speaking of chicken stock, the Washington Post food section had a long

article on chicken stock. The author tried many recipes trying to come up

with a " foolproof " recipe that would come out consistently every time. She

is not after the same things NT people are after (she is entirely concerned

with taste, and not at all nutrition). Here is the article if you want to

read it: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31598-2004Jan20.html

There were a couple of items of interest that I wanted to share: one being a

tip for removing scum more easily and the other a tip for a clearer stock...

In the introductory part of the article she shares this: " In his cookbook

'Think Like a Chef,' chef and cookbook author Tom Colicchio provided the

ingenious idea of boiling the chicken briskly for a few minutes before

draining the pot and starting all over again. This tiny investment of time

eliminates nearly all the scum, results in a clear, pristine stock and

vastly diminishes the tedious task of skimming that would normally require

nearly half an hour. "

Later in the article when listing all issues, she elaborates:

" SCUM: The foamy gray scum that surfaces during the first few minutes of

simmering contains coagulated protein and blood. Though harmless, it's not

exactly appetizing. Place a dump bowl next to the stove and use a skimmer or

any flat, wide spoon, to remove the scum.

To dramatically reduce the need to stand by the stove and skim scum for half

an hour, I prefer to bring the chicken and enough water to cover to a boil

for a few minutes. Drain the chicken, discarding the water and accompanying

scum, rinse the chicken and wipe out the pot. Return the chicken to the pot,

add the appropriate amount of fresh cold water and proceed with the stock

recipe. (Such a short simmer is insufficient to coax any flavor from the

meat and bones, so there is no loss of flavor.)

SIMMER DON'T BOIL: Once the chicken and water to cover have been brought to

a boil and the scum removed, and the chicken is back in the pot with the

fresh batch of water, only the occasional bubble should creep to the

surface. The agitation of a rolling boil breaks the components of the scum

into tiny parts that are emulsified with the stock, rendering it cloudy and

bitter. "

I tried the basic stock recipe she offers, and followed the above tips,

although I simmered it much longer than she suggests. I will say that it WAS

much easier to dump the water and scum and start over, though you still have

to skim SOME scum on the second boil. Also, the stock was much clearer than

usual, maybe because I just barely simmered it as she suggested instead of

letting boil somewhat vigorously.

Jill