Yield: About 4 cups

 

¾ pound chicken legs, breasts, thighs or bones (can use leftover carcass from roasting)

1 small yellow onion sliced (about ½ cup)

1 garlic clove, sliced

1 carrot cut into 1-inch chunks (about ¾ cup)

5 cups cold water

¾ tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¼ teaspoons whole black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

 

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker on low heat. Allow to cook for 6–8 hours on low, skimming the surface a few times during cooking.

 

When finished, strain out the aromatics, chill and remove the top layer of fat from the stock. Freeze or use in any recipe calling for chicken stock.

 

 

Yield: About 5 cups

 

1 pound beef bones

1 garlic clove

6 cups cold water

½–1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon butter

1 yellow onion, sliced (about 1 cup)

2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1¼ cup)

 

Place the beef bones, garlic, water, salt, peppercorns and bay leaf in a slow cooker on low heat. In a small pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the onions and parsnips. Cook for 7–10 minutes, until the onions are soft and the parsnips are beginning to caramelize. Add this to the slow cooker. Allow the mixture to cook for 8–10 hours on low heat or 4 hours on high. Avoid boiling. Skim off the “scum” that floats to the surface as the stock is cooking.

 

Shut off the slow cooker. Strain out and discard the aromatics. Cool and skim the layer of fat that forms on the surface of the stock. Freeze or use in any recipe calling for beef stock, like our Braised Oxtail Soup in the Winter Liquid Assets Issue.