bopfletch, I roast the chicken first and I think it does make a difference in the flavor of the stock. ?After roasting I use all the bones and bits, the bones add that "gelatinous" texture to the stock.

Vegetables are carrots, onions, celery. Salt and pepper and a bay leaf for seasoning. Sometimes garlic, sometimes not.

Annie

And here's the reverse....I don't roast the chicken for stock...I like the light stock, the stock with the pure chicken, unbrowned taste.
BUT...If I were making stock solely for Thanksgiving gravy, I would roast some turkey wings, then boil with veggies and use that for the stock.
I made chicken stock today as a by product of chicken salad. It will deglaze the pan and the fond from the roast turkey will provide the brown roasted taste.

I just made a gallon + of chicken feet stock in preparation for t-day gravy. I didn't roast the chicken parts but I brazed the thighs before adding to the wing tips, aromatic vegetables, garlic cloves, and herbs. I just checked on it after straining and refrigerating, it pasted the past the Jelloî test--it's solid gel. Thursday I'll add the fond and drippings from the turkey to finish the gravy.

To your question, I think you can go either way but the more important technique to guarantee the best flavor and rich color is to slow cook the stock versus boiling. Certainly using roasted chicken carcass wouldn't hurt.

I do it both ways too.

If I want a nice rich stock to be used for gravy or a hearty chicken/turkey soup I roast the bird first. I simmer a long time using onion, carrot, celery , bay leaves and salt and pepper as the aromatics.

If I want a lighter broth for chicken and dumplings and Chicken a la King or more delicate chicken soups like Won Ton or straticella, then I simmer it without roasting. I also only use onion and bay leaves, salt and pepper. No carrots or celery.

Having said all that I use both for everything if that's what's in the freezer! LOL

I usually use a raw chicken, and then I always keep the bones from roasted chickens etc, for stock.

Pretty much what everyone said. I only use roasted chicken/turkey if I have them left over/in freezer. For Thanksgiving I make a ton of gravy and lots of stuffing so the first thing I do on the day is use the tail, wings, neck and some of the giblet pack to make a nice broth with some onions and celery. I then use this stock to wet the stuffing and make the gravy out of the drippings. Sometimes we use some of the broth/stock to make some eggdrop soup for a light lunch. We tend to eat our dinner around seven.

I never know how long to cook the stock for. I cooked it for hours and it cooked down to where I didn't get as much as I had hoped for. And it should be just at a simmer, I assume.

Covered, or uncovered?

Has anyone tried using the slow-cooker?

Jasdip, I used a slow-cooker this week. I started it at 10:00 pm; I put hot ingredients in the crock to assure it would be hot from the get-go. I have a quick start crock pot that shifts from high to low after an hour. I checked it the next morning at 6:00am then kept it going another 3 hours. Straining it, cooled it, refrigerated it, a few hours later it was completely congealed.

Sounds great Mustangs! That way I won't cook it at too fast a simmer/boil.

Do you cover your stockpot when it's on the stove?

I NEVER toss a carcass or bones without making some stock first. Of course, using baked/roasted bones will produce a darker stock... that's fine with me.

Starting with raw poultry will work fine, too. Was in supermarket yesterday and just couldn't pass up a package of 2 cornish hens. Not a favorite but HALF price... 2 days BEFORE sell-by date... only about $3. Made a HUGE pot of stock that'll be frozen for future use.

I won't have all the great left-overs from T-Day so planning ahead. Have half a breast in freezer that I'm planning to cook on Friday while all the crazies are out shopping. Thinking of boning it and doing some kind of roll thing. If I do bone, will roast the bones along with the roll. Will look for a few wings to roast, too. Will want as much good brown stuff in bottom of pan so I can make a good amount of gravy. If it's made with flour (instead of corn starch), it freezes and thaws just fine.

Cathy, we've been using stock-in-a-box since my accident/stroke/lupus that's put me down for the count. DH told me that he's "thinking" about starting to make his own after the new year. I'd like to start him off with the chicken feet stock but I don't seem to have saved the instructions. :(

Would you have time to post your instructions for handling the chicken feet? I certainly don't need it before the holidays. I know you're busy & DH won't try it for a few weeks. Plus, I've got to track down the feet!

Thanks,
/tricia

Tricia, Are you kidding--that's the very least I could do considering all the time and effort you put into the bread tutorials, which I thank you for!

As requested, here are instructions for handling the chicken feet. This time I didn't pre-boil the feet as stated in these instructions; instead I poured boiling water over the feet and let them sit for 10 minutes before rinsing in cold water. I think that helped produce more gel. At least that is the tip suggested on several other websites.

Here is a link that might be useful: Preparing Chicken Feet

I usually just brown the carcass and pieces, aggressively, in the stock pot before adding water and veg. I don't seem to want to fire the oven for an hour just for stock. But lately I've been roasting the carcass in the toaster oven, it heats quickly and is just the right size.