How to Make Chicken Stock From a Rotisserie Chicken

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I love rotisserie chickens.  Their convenience and versatility make them irresistible to me.  I love to cut up the meat and use it in chicken salads, soups, and pot pies.  More often than not, I leave behind more than I use.  I've always felt bad about spending so much on a convenience item, using only a little bit and then tossing it out.  I knew there had to be a way to squeeze out some more use from these little birds.

Enter chicken stock.  I've watched my beloved Ina Garten extol the virtues of homemade chicken stock for years, but her version is certainly not economical (3 chickens!!!).  After finding a recipe to make chicken stock from a rotisserie chicken from Soup Chick I was ready to go.  

This is so easy.  I can't believe I waited so long to do this.

Toss your used up bird, some veggies, herbs, and some peppercorns in a large stockpot or Dutch Oven.  You don't have to peel the onion, but probably should remove the sticker.

Cover with some water and bring to a boil.

At this point I decided to add in a bunch of fresh parsley since I had it.  Pretend like I added in Step 1.  Reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered, for an hour and a half. 

The chicken, veggies, and herbs will have released all of their loveliness and you will be left with a pot full of concentrated flavor.

Let cool slightly.  Remove the chicken, vegetables, and herbs with tongs.   Discard.

Pour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer.

Pour into containers.  Refrigerate or freeze.

Chicken Stock
adapted from Soup Chick

1 Rotisserie Chicken carcass (with remaining meat and skin)
1 medium onion, not peeled, cut in half
1 carrot, cut in half
1 celery stalk, cut in half
3 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic
small bunch of parsley
12 peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in large stockpot or Dutch oven (4-5 quart capacity).  Add 2 quarts of water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 1 hour 30 minutes.  

Let cool slightly.  Remove chicken pieces and large pieces of vegetables.  Discard.  Pour stock through a fine-mesh strainer into container(s).  Refrigerate, or, if not planning on using within 3 days, store in freezer.

When ready to use, skim fat from top of stock.