Chicken Stock

Sun Harvest Farms has leg quarters on sale for 49 cents a pound. I own a 12 qt. stockpot that hasn't been used yet. Guess what time it is?

This is my favorite recipe for chicken stock because you brown the meat and vegetables first, and then deglaze the roasting pan. All of the lovely fond goes into the stockpot with the chicken and vegetables and enough water to cover. The ratio is roughly a pound of meat to a pint of water. So I'll end up with about 4 quarts of nice gelatinous chicken stock to freeze for yummy sauces.

I read a tip in either Fine Cooking or Cook's Illustrated to put a collapsible steamer basket on top of the meat and vegetables while they simmer, making it much easier to skim the foam off the surface. Great trick, works like a charm.

• Chicken Stock (Fine Cooking #19, p.18)