Stock from a Rotisserie Chicken

While I love the convenience and versatility of rotisserie chickens, I often times find myself not willing to pay upwards of $7.99 for the whole thing.  I feel wasteful if I don't use the whole bird and it's just as easy to cook chicken breasts on my own.  However, while shopping at Costco last week, I noticed that they sell rotisserie chickens for $4.99.  Did you know that?!  That's a deal!  While I was more comfortable with that price tag, I still had to deal with the problem of what to do with all that chicken- especially the dark meat which I am not fond it.

Enter chicken stock!  Every Ina Garten cookbook I own has a recipe for homemade chicken stock.  I filed them under the "to make someday" category, but never really paid them much attention despite how much Ina raves about it.

Well, I can't believe I waited so long to do it.  It was so easy and the broth has so. much. flavor.  It makes the carton stuff look like water.  I foresee many more Costco trips in my future, and lots of homemade stock in the freezer.

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Homemade Chicken Stock

1 rotisserie chicken carcass (with whatever remaining skin and meat you do not use)
1 onions, unpeeled and quartered
2 celery stalks, halved
2 carrots, cut in half
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic
10 whole black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt
optional: parsley, thyme, dill, or rosemary

Toss bird, vegetables, and spices in large dutch oven and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Let it cool, discard everything in the pot except for the stock.  Pour through a fine mesh strainer.   Refrigerate or freeze.

Note:  you can really add or subtract the quantity of veggies and I don't believe it will make a difference.  When the stock has cooled, you may have to scrape the surface fat.