the chef has officially began his new career as a physician. july 1 was his – and thousands of other medical residents’ – first real day on the job. he went in at 5:30 a.m. and got home at 9:45 p.m.
i think it’s safe to assume i’m going to need to learn to cook alone. and because i’m currently jobless (unless you count binge watching parenthood and big love and sending in millions of unsolicited resumes to people who don’t really want them a job, which at this point, i kind of do, only i don’t get paid for it), i have lots of time to do so.
up first: my first batch of on-my-own, without-the-chef chicken stock.
see my feet? no shoes. that’s because i’m in my pajamas. in the middle of the day.
anyway.
you’ll need:
chicken carcass (mine was left over from the chicken i roasted last night)
1ish large onion
2ish big carrots
4ish ribs of celery (aka sticks of celery)
10ish sprigs of thyme
2ish bay leaves
10ish pepper corns
a lot of -ish ingredient measurements. if you have the right amounts, use them. if you don’t, don’t sweat it!
take the skin off the onion, then quarter it. cut the carrots and celery into ~2 inch segments. no need to peel the carrots.
throw it all in a big pot. 12 quart if you have it. cover with water. put on high heat until it starts boiling, then you can turn it down to low or medium to let it simmer. every now and then, you’ll need to skim some of the grossness off the top. it’s protein. if you don’t skim it off, your stock will be cloudy instead of clear.
there ya go! let that sucker simmer for about 6 hours. your house will smell AMAZING in the mean time. like thanksgiving. my mouth is watering.
the stock is good for a few days in the fridge, or a few months if you freeze it. the chef usually freezes his in ice cube trays, which is a pretty brilliant idea.
play with the recipe a little after you make a pot or two. try different herbs. or LOTS of herbs. then let me know what tastes best to you!
ok, gotta go watch more parenthood. amber’s story is getting really intense right now! 😉
chef meets girl 