Giblets or a couple of chicken wings go into Delia Smith’s chicken stock, along with carrots, onions, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns. It all starts in cold water, comes to the boil and simmers briskly for an hour before it’s strained. You end up with about 850ml, ready for soups, risotto or gravy.
The same quick recipe appears in her Winter Collection (1995), beside a quick vegetable stock, and again in The Delia Collection: Soup (2003), which adds the yield. Her Complete Cookery Course (1992) makes it the slow way, with a leek and some dried herbs, simmered gently for 2 hours with the lid almost on.
It’s a stock to cook with rather than a soup to eat, as the giblets or wings are thrown away at the end. A good batch goes into her Thai chicken soup, while her leftover turkey soup makes its own stock from the Christmas carcass.
Delia Smith’s Chicken Stock
Course: SoupsCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes1
hour30
kcalLight and savoury, from page 128 of her Soup collection, and it makes about 1½ pints.
Ingredients
- For the stock:
1 set of chicken giblets, or a couple of chicken wings and tips
1 stick of celery, cut in half and split lengthways
2 small carrots, split lengthways
2 small onions, sliced
1 small bunch of parsley stalks and celery leaves
a pinch of salt
1.2 litres (2 pints) cold water
Directions
- Start cold: Put the giblets or chicken wings into a saucepan with the celery, carrots, onions, bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley stalks, celery leaves and salt, then pour in the cold water.
- Simmer: Cover the pan and bring it to the boil, then let it simmer briskly for 1 hour.
- Strain: Strain the stock through a sieve, throwing away the giblets and vegetables, and it’s ready to use.
Notes
- As it comes up to the boil, slide a large spoon flat across the surface to lift off any scum, a tip from her Cookery Course.
- If it tastes a little weak, simmer it uncovered to reduce it, and only add more salt after that. Delia points out that reducing concentrates the saltiness.
FAQs
Why is my chicken stock cloudy?
Most often it has boiled too hard, and Delia agrees. In her Complete Cookery Course she warns that fast boiling can turn a stock cloudy and murky, and she keeps hers at a gentle simmer.
Her quicker 1995 and 2003 versions simmer briskly, which I find is fine for blended soups. For a clear broth like the Thai chicken soup, I’d keep the heat down to a gentle simmer instead, which is my own suggestion.
Can I use a stock cube instead?
You can, but Delia isn’t keen. In One is Fun she says she has tried stock cubes time and again and finds they bring an alien flavour, even used sparingly.
She prefers plain water, or water with a little tomato purée or mushroom ketchup, depending on the recipe. For a soup where chicken is the main flavour, I’d say home-made is always worth it.
Can I make chicken stock from a cooked carcass?
Yes, and her Cookery Course gives a carcass stock for exactly that. The broken-up carcass goes into the pot with any odd bits of bone and skin, the same vegetables and herbs, and enough cold water to cover.
It’s then cooked the same slow way as her older giblet version. A carcass from a roast chicken gives a deeper, roastier flavour than raw wings, in my experience.
How many giblets do I need?
Her 1992 rule is a pint (570ml) of water for each set of giblets, or 175g (6oz) of frozen giblets to every pint. If the giblets are fresh and you don’t need the liver for a stuffing, she adds it to the pot for extra richness.
By that rule, the single set in 1.2 litres here makes a lighter stock. For a stronger one I’d use two sets, which is my own reading of her two versions.
How do I get the fat off?
Her Cookery Course gives two ways. Let the stock settle for about 30 minutes and skim the fat from the top, or float a double sheet of kitchen paper on the surface to soak it up, sometimes two or three times.
The more thorough way is to cool it overnight. By morning the fat has set on top and lifts off in one go.
How do I freeze chicken stock?
Delia cools her stocks and lifts off the fat before using or freezing them. She also suggests keeping a frozen packet of giblets in the freezer, so a batch is always within reach.
I’d freeze it in 250ml tubs, or in ice-cube trays for Delia Smith’s gravy and sauces, which is my own habit. Kept in the fridge instead, I’d use it within a couple of days.
