Roaster oven chicken stock

[Loundry]

I've been braying about the $40 roaster oven in other unrelated topics, but I can't forget that the the whole reason I wanted one in the first place was to make chicken stock.  Last night I finally did it.  I put about 3 gallons of water, 3 pounds of chicken wings, and 3 pounds of chicken feet into the roaster and set it at 250.  I later measured the temperature of the water and it came up to 200.5, which I think is just about perfect.  I let it go overnight.

This morning it smelled very chickeny.  I chopped up two onions (left the skins on), 3 carrots, and 5 (old) ribs of celery, and about 20 or so cloves of garlic (bisected) and a few sprigs of thyme that I pulled out of the top of my inverted planters, and added them to the roaster oven.  It promptly started to smell like stock and I got quite excited.  One thing I noticed about the procedure was that there was never any "scum" to rise to the top to be skimmed.  I wondered if this was due to the fact that A) the evil proteins were evilly dissolving into the stock, ruining it subtly, or B) the mixture never boiling never coaxed those proteins out.  I went to chowhound and read the comments about people using slow-cookers to make chicken stock and none of them talked about skimming scum or complaining that the resultant stock tasted bad.  I also noticed that there didn't seem to be much chicken fat sitting on top.

Straining the stock was pretty simple after I got a strong man to move the whole contraption closer to the sink.  It was golden in color.

The stock is now in the kept-at-20 freezer to chill.  I can't wait to taste it!

[Loundry]

Here's what it looked like this morning.  Previous photo is when I started it last night.  Best of all?  EASY.

[HaagenDazs]

20 garlic cloves?  I haven't used that many in a stock before: does it make the stock more of a garlic/chicken stock or does it just blend in like an onion?  Sounds like a very easy process though, you're right.  I'll certainly have to steal the method from you.

[Loundry]

So how did it taste?  In a word, bland.  In two words, bland and boring.  Something obviously went wrong.  I think it was the choice of chicken parts I used.  It looks like it has plenty of collagen, but not enough chickenyness.  I think this was because I used skin-on wings (just dumped 'em in) instead of what I usually use (carcass chunks with exposed meat and bones).  I think it will be fine, but it will take some more reducing to get the bang for the buck.

[Jmolinari]

I think you used way  too little chicken. While the chicken feet add great collagen they add little to no flavor, so don't count towards your ratio.
For 12 quarts of water I would use at least 6 lbs of tasty bits ( backs necks thighs).

You can try reducing your liquid ( makes itneasier to store anyhow) and see if it helps.

This is a great resourse:  http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/25256-stocks-and-sauces-class-unit-1-day1/

[totm]

Did you add any salt or pepper?  Would searing the wings and feet first have imparted more complexity?

[Jmolinari]

I dont like adding salt to my stocks b/c it limits what i can do with them later. I like to salt based on use (sauce, soup, stir fry)

[Foodgeek]

Did you add any salt or pepper?  Would searing the wings and feet first have imparted more complexity?

That's what I was thinking. I don't believe in salting items that are going into a stock, but I always roast or brown everything for stock. I probably would have chopped the wings in half to allow the meat and bones to be exposed, roasted everything in the oven with the onions and carrots, then simmered it all for stock. I always seem to get good color on the pan juices which makes a richer looking stock as well.

I probably disagree with Jason (and the eGullet method), since I don't end up using a lot of meat for my stocks, though I often use the leftover bones from roasted chickens that we have had for dinner, which is totally inconsistent with my salt comment, since those bones will definitely get some salt from having been seasoned before I roasted the chicken. Overall, however, I think I manage to get stock or broth that is very flavorful, and my matzo ball soup is always delicious.

I'm probably doing it all wrong, but my husband and the other people that I feed haven't told me otherwise, so I won't likely change it.

[Jmolinari]

Did you add any salt or pepper?  Would searing the wings and feet first have imparted more complexity?

That's what I was thinking. I don't believe in salting items that are going into a stock, but I always roast or brown everything for stock. I probably would have chopped the wings in half to allow the meat and bones to be exposed, roasted everything in the oven with the onions and carrots, then simmered it all for stock. I always seem to get good color on the pan juices which makes a richer looking stock as well.

I probably disagree with Jason (and the eGullet method), since I don't end up using a lot of meat for my stocks, though I often use the leftover bones from roasted chickens that we have had for dinner, which is totally inconsistent with my salt comment, since those bones will definitely get some salt from having been seasoned before I roasted the chicken. Overall, however, I think I manage to get stock or broth that is very flavorful, and my matzo ball soup is always delicious.

I'm probably doing it all wrong, but my husband and the other people that I feed haven't told me otherwise, so I won't likely change it.

About what ratio do you use? Maybe you're getting a lot of flavor from teh roasting. I don't roast, so maybe i have to use more to make up for it.

[Loundry]

I have always roasted bones when making beef stock.  I do believe that the issue was that the skin (filled with insoluble elastin) was totally encasing the meat of the wings.  Cutting them in half would have helped, but just ripping off the skin (and leaving it in the stock) would have been even better.  I've never roasted chicken stock, but I believe the reason for that was because I read it, and I think the reason why it was written down was because "it will impart a dark color to the stock".

Honestly the best way to do this is to start with whole chickens and to use the leftover parts (neck, back, wings) for stock.  But I was tired of waiting.

Come to think of it, what is the proper ratio of bone to water (in mass)?  And does meat count as "bone"?

[Jmolinari]

I use the egullet ratio. 2 parts water to 1 part meaty bits by weight.  I user backs necks and thighs. And feet for collagen

[Loundry]

I use the egullet ratio. 2 parts water to 1 part meaty bits by weight.  I user backs necks and thighs. And feet for collagen

Ooh, I don't know if I could use a thigh in chicken stock.  That's my favorite part of the chicken!

[Loundry]

20 garlic cloves?  I haven't used that many in a stock before: does it make the stock more of a garlic/chicken stock or does it just blend in like an onion?  Sounds like a very easy process though, you're right.  I'll certainly have to steal the method from you.

Thank you, and to answer your question, it blends in.  Garlic loses most of its characteristic flavor the longer it's cooked.  This is why you need so many -- the flavor becomes very mellow.

[Jmolinari]

I use the egullet ratio. 2 parts water to 1 part meaty bits by weight.  I user backs necks and thighs. And feet for collagen

Ooh, I don't know if I could use a thigh in chicken stock.  That's my favorite part of the chicken!

you can use them in the stock, then pull them out before they lose ALL their flavor and use them for chicken salads and other good stuff

[HaagenDazs]

And does meat count as "bone"?

To single out that question - no.  Meat alone doesn't add as much flavor to the party as bone does.  That's really the difference between a stock and a broth.  Stock is bone and occasionally meat (or the meat left on the bones/carcass) and a broth is made with meat only.  If I remember correctly.