In my slowcooker today .....

For a busy, working (single!) parent, slowcookers are very useful gadgets to have in the kitchen - as is my Remoska, but I'll save that for another post!

The slowcooker is used two or three times a week to make casseroles, stock, soups, curries etc. It means that I can get home from work and find the majority of our evening meal ready. The house smells wonderful too - bonus!

I've already mentioned that money is very tight right now and I know many people are struggling to make ends meet, but I can't understand why the best bit of the chicken is thrown out in the rubbish! Actually, I suspect it's because we don't know what to do with it or have never been shown how to make the most of every bit of the bird. I call it 'rubber chicken' - stretching it as far as it can go!!

In our household, a chicken makes a roast dinner on a Sunday and a pasta bake on Monday. The bird is then stripped of the not-so-tempting bits and that is the dogs' treat!

Here's how I make the stock:

 

Break up the carcass to fit into the slowcooker. If you don't have a slowcooker, just use a large pan - large enough to cover the bones with water.

 

 

Chop up a large carrot and two onions (leave the skin on because it gives the stock some colour). I would usually add a stick of celery, but it's the end of the week and I've run out so I'm using celery salt instead!

 

 

Put the whole lot in the crockpot, almost cover with water, stick the lid on

and cook on medium until you get home from work!!

 



 Once cooked, the remaining chicken will be stripped off the bones and given to the dogs. They will probably have the carrots as well! Onions and parsley will go to the chickens! Bones will go in the compost heap.

 

After the liquid has cooled, spoon off the jelly and strain the stock through a fine sieve. At this point you can store it in the fridge for a day or two or pop it in the freezer. Make sure you label the freezer bag though as it's difficult to determine what the frozen lump is after a while. Ask me how I know!!

 

I don't season my stock as I prefer to add salt and pepper according to how I am using it. Tonight, I will be using the stock to make a bacon and pea risotto. Depending on how salty the bacon is, it might not need any extra seasoning.

 

What's your favourite way to use up chicken? Do you make your own stock?