Rotisserie Chicken Carcass

[Giraffe]

OK, First I don't know if I spelled the words in the title right. If not, please forgive me. I've had a day with a sick preschooler and a husband out of town with a family emergency.

 

I got a rotisserie chicken yesterday and I've picked most of the meat off it. I normally just toss the carcass, but am trying to be more frugal. Is it possible to do something with it? Can I make broth/stock from it?

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

[Mergath]

I always make broth from my chicken carcasses. Just dump it in a big pot, cover it with water, and toss in whatever else sounds good- I usually add garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and a bay leaf. Also, if you add a tbsp or so of vinegar, it'll help break down the bones and more of the marrow will be incorporated into the broth.

 

I've let all this boil for a couple hours, or simmer for most of the day. Either way, the broth tasted great, though if you go with the long-low heat method, you'll have to add more water periodically.

 

ETA: Oh, and I'm sure you probably already know this, but you don't have to use the broth right away. It freezes beautifully. I let mine cool in the fridge, skim the fat off the top, dump it in a plastic bag and stick it in the freezer.

Edited November 30, 2010 by Mergath

[danivdp]

Yep, throw her in the crockpot, cover with water (celery leaves, onion ends and carrots optional ;) ) and let it cook on low all night...or 24 hrs. Yummy :)

[Giraffe]

Yep, throw her in the crockpot, cover with water (celery leaves, onion ends and carrots optional ;) ) and let it cook on low all night...or 24 hrs. Yummy :)

 

If I only had a crockpot! Putting it on my Christmas wishlist....

 

Thanks everyone - will cook it in the AM!

[Hedgehogs4]

OK, First I don't know if I spelled the words in the title right. If not, please forgive me. I've had a day with a sick preschooler and a husband out of town with a family emergency.

 

I got a rotisserie chicken yesterday and I've picked most of the meat off it. I normally just toss the carcass, but am trying to be more frugal. Is it possible to do something with it? Can I make broth/stock from it?

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

 

Absolutely! put it in a pot with an onion (cut into sections) some carrots, parsnips, celery, garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay, about a tsp. of whole peppercorns, white wine (if you have it) and simmer it. Cover with water (about 6-8 qts.) keep the lid cracked and allow it to cook down until the broth is fairly concentrated. Strain the vegetables and the coarse stuff out of the stock and if you want to, strain the fat. Pour into quart-size or gallon size bags and freeze (depending on what kind of portions you use). Use it like you would any other chicken stock, but you have the peace of mind of knowing that it didn't come from a can and there isn't a ton of added junk in it. I LOVE making soup. I make it at least once a week and this stock can be used for most soup bases.

 

I personally make soup right away (as in perhaps the next day) with my stock: here's how.

 

http://accidentalhomeschooler.blogspot.com/2010/01/baby-its-cold-outside-or-time-to-make.html

 

Keep half the stock out for your soup, freeze half.

 

in that post i describe how to make beef barley vegetable soup. basically I would just leave out the beef, using chicken stock instead, omit the worchestershire, red wine, and barley. Instead I would add the juice of 1/2 a lemon, white wine (again!) and otherwise the ingredients are essentially the same. it's a different flavor. you can use leftover chicken to add to the soup. Chop and add it just before you serve it, just giving it enough time to heat, because already-cooked chicken gets rubbery and tasteless when cooked all day in soup.

[Giraffe]

Absolutely! put it in a pot with an onion (cut into sections) some carrots, parsnips, celery, garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay, about a tsp. of whole peppercorns, white wine (if you have it) and simmer it. Cover with water (about 6-8 qts.) keep the lid cracked and allow it to cook down until the broth is fairly concentrated. Strain the vegetables and the coarse stuff out of the stock and if you want to, strain the fat. Pour into quart-size or gallon size bags and freeze (depending on what kind of portions you use). Use it like you would any other chicken stock, but you have the peace of mind of knowing that it didn't come from a can and there isn't a ton of added junk in it. I LOVE making soup. I make it at least once a week and this stock can be used for most soup bases.

 

I personally make soup right away (as in perhaps the next day) with my stock: here's how.

 

http://accidentalhomeschooler.blogspot.com/2010/01/baby-its-cold-outside-or-time-to-make.html

 

Keep half the stock out for your soup, freeze half.

 

in that post i describe how to make beef barley vegetable soup. basically I would just leave out the beef, using chicken stock instead, omit the worchestershire, red wine, and barley. Instead I would add the juice of 1/2 a lemon, white wine (again!) and otherwise the ingredients are essentially the same. it's a different flavor. you can use leftover chicken to add to the soup. Chop and add it just before you serve it, just giving it enough time to heat, because already-cooked chicken gets rubbery and tasteless when cooked all day in soup.

 

YUM! Thanks for the recipes!

[Spy Car]

Absolutely, make soup. Almost as good as turkey carcass soup (the last remains of which we are about to consume).

 

Bill

[Mandamom]

For thanksgiving we had chicken (cooked at home in a rotisserie) and turkey (dad cooked it in the oven) because my dad can't eat turkey. After dinner mom threw together both carcasses and and made some delicious turkey-chicken veggie soup.

[KatieH]

I always make broth from my chicken carcasses. Just dump it in a big pot, cover it with water, and toss in whatever else sounds good- I usually add garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and a bay leaf. Also, if you add a tbsp or so of vinegar, it'll help break down the bones and more of the marrow will be incorporated into the broth.

 

 

 

This is what I do, minus garlic. I use raw apple cider vinegar, and I bring it to a boil, then skim off the foam (it's impurities, you want to skim it off). Then I cover and simmer for 24 hours (yes, 24 hours!). A nice long simmer really pulls out all the vitamins and minerals and gelatin.

 

Some people skim the fat to use in other dishes, but I prefer full fat stocks so I leave it in (if you want to use the fat, just put it in the fridge till it gels up then scoop it off the top).

 

I strain the brother to get the little pieces of whatever out and freeze in mason jars. Some day I'll get around to actually canning it in the pressure canner...maybe...I go through a lot of broth! :lol:

[Hedgehog]

I always make broth from my chicken carcasses. Just dump it in a big pot, cover it with water, and toss in whatever else sounds good- I usually add garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and a bay leaf. Also, if you add a tbsp or so of vinegar, it'll help break down the bones and more of the marrow will be incorporated into the broth.

 

I've let all this boil for a couple hours, or simmer for most of the day. Either way, the broth tasted great, though if you go with the long-low heat method, you'll have to add more water periodically.

 

We do this too, with the slight variation of boiling up the bones and bits first, then straining the broth through a sieve; then I add onions etc. and whatever looks promising in my fridge and cupboards.

 

If I'm going to save the broth I'll pop it in a jug in the fridge complete. Then, when I get it out to use, I'll take the solid fat off the top and make a rue with flour to thicken the broth later.

[Socalmom]

I use this recipe for a soup base using whatever is leftover from a roasted chicken -

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fast-Chicken-Soup-Base/Detail.aspx

 

Then I use one of these recipes to make soup -

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Soup-With-Black-Beans-and-Corn/Detail.aspx

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Soup-With-Pasta-and-White-Beans/Detail.aspx

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Tortellini-Soup-With-Zucchini-and-Tomatoes/Detail.aspx

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Classic-Chicken-Noodle-Soup/Detail.aspx

 

Margie