The encyclopaedia of gravy
Chicken stock made from a roast carcass is the cheapest good stock there is, and the base for chicken, turkey and many vegetable-forward gravies.
The carcass from a roast chicken, which most households throw away, makes a litre and a half of stock that is better than anything sold in a tub.
Method¶
- Break up the carcass — including skin, wing tips and any jelly from the plate — and put it in a pan.
- Add 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stick, a bay leaf and a few peppercorns.
- Cover with cold water by 4 cm.
- Bring slowly to a bare simmer, skim, then simmer gently, uncovered, 2–3 hours.
- Strain, cool fast, chill or freeze.
No salt. No hard boiling.
💡 Chef's tip
Add a couple of chicken wings or, if you can get them, feet. They are almost pure collagen and turn an adequate stock into a jellied one. See gelatin from bones.
White vs brown chicken stock¶
White stock — raw or lightly cooked bones, no browning — is pale, delicate, and right for white gravy and velouté.
Brown chicken stock — bones roasted first — is darker, deeper and better for a chicken gravy with real presence, or for a jus.
The Christmas variant¶
Turkey giblets, neck and wing tips make the same stock with more depth, and it is the foundation of turkey gravy. Make it days ahead — see gravy for christmas dinner.