How to Make Store-Bought Chicken Stock Taste Homemade (2024)
I'm very proud of my homemade chicken stock. It's delicious, not too salty, full of body, and most of all — it tastes like chicken. It doesn't require much prep, and most of the time, it simmers away on its own with no attention from me. But lately, my access to the whole bone-in chickens I like to use has been a bit limited. And, because of that, I've found myself buying boxes of low-sodium stock from the grocery store. The store I shop at luckily has really good chicken stock. But, no matter how good, it still tastes just a bit, well… store-bought. So, I've been on a quest: How can I "beef up" the flavor so it tastes more like my own?
Turns out, it could hardly be any easier. I pour a box of stock into a saucepan. To that, I add a minced carrot, a minced celery stalk, some peppercorns, a chopped onion, and, if these flavors will work with the dish I'm eventually going to make, some garlic and herbs. And I just let that simmer for a while. There is really no recipe or specific timing. When the stock tastes good, strain the solids out and you're good to go.
Now, if you want to go a step further, and happen to have, say, a chicken breast sitting in the fridge, you can gently poach it in the barely simmering stock. When it's done, the stock will be exponentially more "chicken-y" and you'll have a very flavorful, moist, tender chicken breast ready for a salad, or a sandwich, or anything calling for cooked chicken. Another possibility, if you have recently cooked a whole chicken, and, like me you've trimmed off the wings before roasting, they can poach in the stock as well. I also cut out the backbone before roasting. (That's called spatchco*cking.) And If I don't need it right away, I freeze it. A frozen backbone is a great addition to your boxed stock.
But if no chicken parts are nearby, and you still want that thicker, richer texture that homemade stock has, here's another trick. This one's a little "out there," but it works surprisingly well if you want to add body. Dissolve a tiny bit of unflavored gelatin in cold water or stock, and add to the simmering stock. Don't worry, we're not making "Chicken Jello" This just mimics the natural collagen in bones that even good store-bought stock never seems to have.
However far you want to go with these ideas, your box of stock will taste better and fresher, even if you just simmer some vegetables in it for a few minutes. Start with the best store-bought stock you can find, and take a few minutes to "doctor" it up, and I guarantee you'll notice a real difference.
Turns out, it could hardly be any easier. I pour a box of stock into a saucepan. To that, I add a minced carrot, a minced celery stalk, some peppercorns, a chopped onion, and, if these flavors will work with the dish I'm eventually going to make, some garlic and herbs. And I just let that simmer for a while.
An onion sliced in half, plus a few chunks of carrots and celery can go a long way in flavoring store-bought stocks. For added smokiness, char aromatics like your onions before adding them to the pot. Garlic, sliced ginger, and lemongrass can also be simmered in the stock for extra flavor.
Woody herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, tarragon, and marjoram release tons of flavor as they slowly simmer in stock. Give them a rinse and toss in a big handful of sprigs per quart of store-bought stock.
The most basic version of vegetable stock only requires a few simple ingredients, such as carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Most recipes will also recommend adding mushrooms, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt for additional flavor.
Cut the bones small, about 3”, to extract the most flavors in the shortest cooking time. A combination of meaty and marrow bones gives the stock a rich flavor and body. Meat trimmings are okay, as long as they are fresh and trimmed of excess fat.
If you can pack in even more chicken and aromatics, your stock will only get richer and more gelatinous. As for time, if you don't cook a stock long enough, you risk not extracting sufficient flavor or gelatin. Cook it too long, though, and you get into a case of seriously diminishing returns.
If your broth tastes thin and bland, you may want to cook and let it evaporate for longer. That helps concentrate its flavors and gives you a better-tasting soup broth. Be sure to remove the lid to let the steam escape.
According to Baraghani, a good bone broth doesn't need much more than bones and a few choice aromatics, like onions, garlic, and black pepper. "Don't even get me started on carrots," he says, which add sweetness.
Light, thin, and full of flavor, broth tastes good on its own or as a base for all kinds of soup. We like to use it as a substitute for water when we're making rice, stew, or polenta. While we always prefer homemade broth, boxed or canned broth is an economical shortcut that's handy to retrieve from the pantry.
Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.
Herbs: Using a variety of herbs makes the best stock, tasting better than store-bought. I love bay leaves, thyme, parsley, dill, and peppercorns. Salt: I season my homemade chicken stock with salt early on, adding more to taste as it simmers.
Stock has a richer, deeper flavor and mouthfeel, making it better at adding body to a dish, whereas broth might be a better choice when you want to let other flavors to shine.
Avoid bitter greens and members of the brassica family (kale, cabbage, Bok Choy). Other greens can be used in small quantities. Good in small quantities (no more than 1/5 of the stock ingredients). Foods in the Brassica family, such as kohlrabi, are too strong for stock/broth and can impart a bitter taste.
If your dish tastes too sour try to add sweetness—think sugar, honey (it's healthy!), cream or even caramelized onions. You can also dilute the dish (same as you would with a dish with too much salt). As a last resort, add a pinch of baking soda to make the dish more alkaline.
Just warm up the broth, toss in some parsley, cilantro, tarragon, sage, thyme, or a combination, and let the broth steep like tea for several minutes before fishing the herbs out. Don't boil fresh herbs in broth, though, or they could make the stock bitter.
That's a good question. Too long — say, 10 or 12 hours — and the stock can become bitter and over-extracted. Too short — say, just an hour or two — and it's going to be thin and washed-out in flavor. Three to four hours is about right.
Introduction: My name is Margart Wisoky, I am a gorgeous, shiny, successful, beautiful, adventurous, excited, pleasant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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