This takes a little time and a little care; the chicken must be browned fully before you add the vegetables, since the liquid they exude will stop the browning process. If you like, you can strain this stock and reduce it over high heat to a cup or two of shiny glaze, enough to make a flavorful sauce for meat, chicken, fish, or vegetables (store the sauce as you would the stock itself). To make this even richer and darker, substitute beef or veal (using the same cuts you’d use for beef stock, page 160) for some or all of the chicken.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 6 cups

　　2 pounds chicken wings, cut into 3 pieces each

　　2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

　　1/2 onion

　　1 carrot

　　4 garlic cloves

　　1/2 celery stalk

　　3 fresh thyme sprigs

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to about 500°F and place a rack in the lowest possible position (if you can roast on the floor of the oven, so much the better).

　　

Step 2

Combine the chicken and olive oil in a roasting pan just large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Roast for about 45 minutes, stirring and scraping occasionally, until the meat is nicely browned. Add the remaining ingredients and stir once or twice, scraping, then return to the oven for about 20 minutes more, stirring once or twice.

　　

Step 3

Place the pan on top of the stove (careful—it will be very hot) and add 6 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 30 minutes, stirring and scraping occasionally. Cool slightly, then strain. Use, refrigerate for 4 to 5 days (longer if you boil it every third day, which will prevent spoiling), or freeze.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.