I always try to make stock after we have a roast chicken, and the slow cooker is the simplest way to do it. It’s so satisfying to make something delicious and useful (and easy!) from a thing that would otherwise be thrown away.
- Chicken carcass, broken into a few pieces
- 1 onion, cut into quarters (could be the onion from inside the chicken if you did that with your roast)
- 1 carrot, cut into 4 pieces (don’t worry about peeling it)
- 1 stick celery, cut into 4
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 or so black peppercorns
- Other bits if you have them in the fridge – parsley stalks, leek tops, spring onion trimmings
- Stick everything into the slow cooker, cover with boiling water and set on low for 6 hours (although longer is fine if you’re out all day). Go and do something else.
- Sieve the now pale golden stock, ideally through muslin to catch the tiny bits
That’s it. 2 steps and you’re done. Use it in soup, risotto, orzotto, casserole, freeze it for later, whatever.
You can adjust the flavourings of the stock however you like. Instead of parsley and bay leaves, add any combination that goes with what you plan to cook – fresh herbs, garlic, fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, star anise, chilli flakes.
Sophie cooks 