Gina: Homemade chicken stock is our way of adding a little extra love to any dish, from soup to stew to rice pilaf. And it’s so easy to make: We throw a whole bird (yeah, the whole thing) in the soup pot, along with plenty of aromatics, and let it simmer for a few hours. This gives our stock plenty of taste. For an even richer chicken flavor, add the carcass of a roasted chicken to the stock as you are cooking it.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 10 cups

　　4 quarts cold water

　　One 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, plus neck and giblets (do not use the liver)

　　2 onions, quartered

　　1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped

　　2 carrots, coarsely chopped

　　2 garlic cloves, unpeeled

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　6 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs

　　8 whole black peppercorns

　　1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

　　2 to 3 dried bay leaves

　　

Step 1

Bring the cold water and the chicken pieces (including the neck and giblets) to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and begin skimming the froth immediately. Continue to simmer the stock, uncovered, skimming froth occasionally, for 2 1/2 hours. Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, parsley, peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot. Simmer for another hour (adding the veggies and spices at the end gives our stock a little extra snap).

　　

Step 2

Pour the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and discard the solids. If you are using the stock right away, skim off and discard any fat. If not, cool the stock completely, uncovered, before skimming off and discarding the fat (this will be easier to do when the stock is cool).

　　Cooks' Note

　　This stock will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator, or it can be frozen for up to 3 months.

　　From Down Home with the Neelys by Patrick and Gina Neely Copyright (c) 2009 by Patrick and Gina Neely Published by Knopf.Patrick and Gina Neely are owners of Neely's Bar-B-Que in Memphis and hosts of several Food Network shows, including the series Down Home with the Neelys, one of the highest-rated programs to debut on the popular Food Network. High school sweethearts who reconciled at their ten-year reunion, they have been married since 1994. They live in Memphis with their two daughters.Paula Disbrowe collaborated with Susan Spicer on Crescent City Cooking and is the author of Cowgirl Cuisine.