7.4.09

Operation Clean Out The Fridge: Zombie Chickens

Well, OK, they weren't actually reanimated brain-munching chickens...but I'm giving new life to chicken bones. Perhaps "FrankenChickens" would be a more appropriate term?

I often pick up a rotisserie chicken to use in my salads. After I've removed the meat, I boil the bones and whatever skin is left to make a basic stock. But over the last couple of months, I've been completely lazy and put the bones in the freezer, figuring tomorrow would be a better day to deal with them. Three chickens later, it was time to make:

Frozen Chicken Stock Cubes

I threw two of the carcasses into my large stock pot, and the third (from Citarella...yum...) into a large pan, and filled both with water. I simmered everything for about 3 hours (checking periodically to make sure there was still enough water), removed the bits and bones, and reduced the liquid to 2 cups per chicken (I should have gone down to 1 cup, but my windows had steamed up and my apartment was like a poultry-infused steambath, and I couldn't take it anymore). I poured the remaining liquid into ice cube trays and popped them into the freezer.

Alas, this didn't really solve my space issues, as I now have bags of cubes filling the freezer. But it's worth it, as I love having these little stock cubes at the ready: I'll heat a bunch to make soup, throw one in a stir-fry or pasta concoction, or add them to something that needs a little extra flavor.

2 comments:

Cathy from Ephrata said...

What a great idea! Chicken pops have so many uses! When making rice, I'd use them to give a nice chickeny flavor to basmati rice as well.

Unknown said...

Hahaha! Chicken Pops! I love it!