Good Chicken Stock

For my recent birthday, Coen gave me three new cookbooks. Mastering the Art of French Cooking volumes one and two. Along with Greg Malouf's fabulous book Arabesque. What a beautiful book, it really makes me want to get into the kitchen. Today I have taken out one of the Broad Bean beds and am looking for something new to cook with them. I have found a recipe to try in 'Arabesque' but it requires chicken stock. I know that those cartons of chicken stock on supermarket shelves are convenient, with advertising promising to taste like 'real stock' .....rubbish! The are as awful as commercially purchased minced garlic. As I have no stock left in the freezer, after a quick dash to the supermarket to buy chicken carcesses. The stock is now simmering away and tomorrow I will be able to make my new dish. I call this 'All in the Pot at Once' stock as rather than making a mirepoix and cooking it, I just throw in the vegetables and leave it to cook when I am in a hurry. but it certainly tastes like 'real chicken stock'

Quick Chicken Stock.

4 chicken carcesses
3 large carrots peeled
3 sticks of celery
A hand full of parsley including the stalks
Small bunch of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
8 whole peppercorns
2 peeled brown onions.
Water to cover.

Method
Cut the vegetables into chunks and add all ingredients into a heave based stock pot.
Bring the stock slowly to a simmer, skimming off any scum that forms on the top.
Gently simmer uncovered for around 2 hours. Strain and refrigerate overnight, taking off any fat that has formed on the top.

Now see how  easy that is!