Chicken Stock from Scratch - 5 to 6 cups

Adapted from: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/how-to-make-chicken-stock and https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-stock-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-68755

Ingredients

• 1 chicken carcass (from a 4-6 lb chicken)
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Parsley stems
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, optional
• 10 peppercorns, optional

Directions:

• Strip the chicken carcass of meat: Use your hands to pull and peel the meat off the bones. Transfer the meat to a container and keep in the fridge to use for whatever.
• Make the stock: Into a large stock pot or Dutch oven add the chicken carcass – bones, skin and any random bits. Add the chopped celery, carrots, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, parsley stems and peppercorns if using.
• Cover with water and simmer: Pour 10 cups (2.5 qt) of cold water over the ingredients in the stockpot and turn the heat to medium, just until it begins to have a low boil, then reduce to medium low (or whatever temp you need to keep the stove at for a gentle simmer). You want the stock to simmer and never boil. Boiling can cause the fat and proteins to emulsify and give you dark, greasy stock.
• Skim the stock: Push the ingredients down to make sure they are submerged in the water and let the stock simmer on medium low for the next 3 hours. Cover with a lid. Check every 45 minutes or so and use a spoon to skim any scum that may form off the surface. This is not an exact science. If you lose track of time, and it simmers for 4 hours that’s Ok. You’ll just have a more concentrated stock and might need to add water. If you’re short on time and you only have 2 hours then you’ll just have a lighter stock. That’s Ok too. There is no room for perfectionists in stock making!
• Strain the stock: Layer a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth. Set it over a large bowl, then ladle the stock into the lined strainer. Press on the solids to release any additional liquid. When it’s done you should have between 5 and 6 cups of stock depending upon how much it has reduced.
• Cool: Allow to cool on the counter, then refrigerate. This allows any fat to rise and solidify.

NOTES: 

• Carcass of roasted chicken after removing the cooked meat does not yield enough flavour. 
• Also, when cold the stock will turn to a soft jelly like due to gelatin. Gelatin gives the stock richness that you don’t get in liquid store-bought stock. Gelatin is good! 
• Homemade stock is not salted, so it can be massively reduced to make things like jus without becoming too salty. You cannot make fine sauces like jus using store bought stock. Note however that homemade chicken stock has a small amount of natural salt. If you reduce it by say 90% or more, you will begin to taste it. Think of it as natural seasoning!

Salsa (Multiple)

 Source: Pati Jinich

Jalapeño Salsa Verde with Cumin (makes ~2 cups)

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatillos, husked and  rinsed
• 3 to 4 jalapeños, to taste
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¾ teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste
• ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro, leaves and tender upper stems

Directions:

• Preheat the broiler with a rack 2-3 inches from it. Place the tomatillos, jalapeños, and garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Broil for about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the tomatillos are charred and mushy. Alternatively, you can char them on a preheated comal, griddle, or skillet preheated over medium heat, but it will take a few minutes more.
• When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic cloves and remove the stems from the jalapeños. Drop the tomatillos, garlic and 1 or 2 jalapeños into a blender.
• Set a small skillet, griddle, or comal over medium-low heat. Once it’s hot, toast the cumin seeds and oregano for less than a minute, stirring constantly until fragrant and browned; don’t let them burn. Scrape into the blender, along with the salt. Pulse until fairly smooth but you can still see the tomatillo seeds. Taste and add the remaining jalapeños as desired.
• Pour into a bowl. Stir in the cilantro and serve. The salsa will keep for up to 5 days, covered, in the refrigerator.

Chile de Árbol Mixed Salsa (makes ~2 cups)

Ingredients

•  ½ pound tomatillos, husked and  rinsed
•  ½ pound ripe plum tomatoes
•  10 to 12 dried chiles de árbol, or to taste, stemmed (with seeds)
•  3 garlic cloves, peeled
•  ¾ teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste

Directions:

• Place the tomatillos, tomatoes, chiles de árbol, and garlic cloves in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, until the tomatillos and tomatoes are soft, cooked, and their skins are just starting to peel, and the chiles have rehydrated.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ingredients to a blender, add the salt, and pulse until fairly smooth but the tomatillo seeds are still visible. The salsa will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Lemon Pasta

 Source: https://www.loveandlemons.com/lemon-pasta/

Ingredients

•  8 ounces spaghetti
•  4 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into pats
•  2 tablespoons lemon zest, plus more for garnish
•  2 garlic cloves, minced
•  ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
•  1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
•  Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
•  Chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves, for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente. In the final minutes of cooking, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water.

2.  A few minutes before the pasta is ready, add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Heat the butter until  it foams, then reduce the heat to low and add the lemon zest and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until  fragrant. Remove from the heat if your pasta is still cooking.

3. When the pasta is al dente, use tongs to transfer it from the pot to the skillet with the butter mixture. Add ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and cook over low heat, tossing until a sauce forms and lightly coats the pasta. Add half the cheese and toss to incorporate. Add the lemon juice and remaining cheese and toss again, cooking until the sauce is smooth. If it becomes too thick or clumpy, add more pasta water as needed to loosen it. Season to  taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice.

4. Garnish with more lemon zest and fresh parsley. Serve with more cheese.