Homemade Chicken Stock
3 to 5 lbs. of chicken wings
2-3 yellow onions, peeled and cut in half
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut in thirds
1 celery stalk cut in thirds
6-8 springs of fresh parsley
1 tsp of peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1-2 Tablespoons tomato paste
(other optional ingredients: 2-3 Thyme sprigs (or 1/2 tsp dried), 2-3 tomatoes, a few cloves of garlic, leeks, white wine, etc.)
12 cups of water
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken wings, carrots, and onion into roasting pan --use two pans if needed. Roast for about 25 minutes and then turn wings over. Roast for another 25-30 minutes. Transfer wings, carrots, and onions to a stock pot. Pour off any fat from the roasting pan and discard. Put roasting pan over med-high flame and pour 1 cup of water into pan. Water should come to a boil very quickly. Use a wooden spoon to release the brown pits on the bottom of the pan, this should only take a couple of minutes. Pour everything from pan into the stockpot. Add the rest of the ingredients to the stockpot and pour about 10-12 cups of cold water into stockpot, enough to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and using a spoon, skim off the scum (this is just foam and congealed proteins and impurities) that will rise to the surface. Keep skimming for a few minutes until the foam subsides. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 2-3 hours. Remove as much of the wings and vegetables using a large handled strainer or spoon. Then strain the stock into a large bowl. Cover and chill overnight. The next day the fat will be on the surface of the stock. Skim off the fat with a spoon and discard. This will be fine for a week in your refrigerator or store (in 1 or 2 cup amounts) in the freezer.
