The Basics: Chicken Stock

As I read through the PJ Cookbook, I noticed chicken stock was a foundation for many recipes. The recipes noted "Chicke Stock (Page 194) or canned low-sodium chicken broth". Canned? Canned chicken broth? No thanks. Remember what I said about fresh homemade chicken stock? It's a must and it's SO easy. Water, chicken, carrots, onions, celery, thyme, bay leaf, and some peppercorns. That's it! It practically makes it self. Set a pot to boil and toss everything in then simmer for 2 hours or so. How much easier can it get? So get that canned crap out of your kitchen and make the real thing. It tastes so much better too. You can use the boiled chicken to make chicken salad or use it for tacos etc, etc.

First, I boiled the chicken for a few minutes then drained to rid of some of the excess fat. I then put cold water over the chicken (about 2-3 inches over) and brought it to a boil again.

Once boiling, I tossed in the onion, carrot, celery, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns and reduced the heat to a simmer. This cooked for about 2 hours. You want the stock to have a nice golden color and rich flavor.

Once it does, strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into a container then let cool. I put mine in an ice bath to let it cool faster. As it cools, the fat will congeal at the top. Discard any and all fat. I'm left with my base for many ingredients.

I store my stock in ziplock sandwhich bags for ease of use. Just measure 1 cup into each bag. You can use the stock then and there for the most freshness or store it up to 3 days in the fridge or 2-3 months in the freezer.

The Beginning

I, like many home cooks, am in need of a challenge, a goal. I need something to keep my energy flowing and my eagerness to cook from falling to the wayside. No more Food Network and their celebrity "chefs". No more 30-minute meals. No more $10 dinners. You can kiss all things processed good-bye. No more store bought pre-packaged bland dinners. Bring on fresh produce. Bring on fresh poultry, meats and fish. Give me homemade chicken stock. Give me meals that take scores of patience and pampering. I need real food. That's what brings me here.

This will hopefully be the first of several cook-through blogs I am going to create. I am going to start with fairly simple challenge (Simple compared to Alinea At Home.) I had the good fortune to visit this restaurants winery a few years back. A good friend of ours had set up a tasting for us and we went knowing little about what to expect. We were greeted by a whimsical atmosphere and good vibes coming out of the stereo thanks to a little Dave Matthews Band. As we tasting the wonderful Cabernets, I picked up an unassuming cook book that was just sitting there staring back at me. I thought this would be a great gift for our friend who had set up this tasting as well as many others in the Napa Valley. We purchased the cookbook and 2 bottles of wine - a 2005 Estate Cabernet and a 2005 CADE Cuvee (CADE is a sister winery which opened in 2007 and is the epitome of green and sustainability.) One more thing, as we were paying, the gracious wine pourer took the estate cab and traded it out for one signed by the wine maker Tony Biagi (See Above). Very cool!

So this is where I am now, about to set out to cook through the PlumpJack Cookbook. There are over 70 recipes which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner; mains, sides and appetizers; and of course, desert. Since I wasn't able to dine at the PlumpJack Cafe, I will bring the PlumpJack Cafe to Texas.