Chicken stock: roasted or raw?

[MrHiggins]

Typically, when I make a chicken stock, I use roasted bones and roasted aromatics. Most recipes I see out there call for starting with raw ingredients. What are the pros and cons of roasted vs. raw stock for you all? Do you use them in different applications?

 

[mengwong]

It's a question of what your downstream recipe wants, I think …

Both white chicken stock and brown chicken stock have their place, and depending on what you tend to cook at home, one or the other may make more sense for you.

Cook a lot of lighter dishes, including fish and seafood? White chicken stock may be the way to go. Never cook fish but make a lot of meaty stews, braises, and roasts with pan sauces? You probably want a supply of brown chicken stock.

https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-make-brown-chicken-stock

 

[Jovidah]

'No color, no flavor'... so I always brown that stuff. To me the extra flavor from the caramellization is what really adds depth. If I wanted a lighter stock I could just get store-bought stuff.

 

[MrHiggins]

'No color, no flavor'... so I always brown that stuff. To me the extra flavor from the caramellization is what really adds depth. If I wanted a lighter stock I could just get store-bought stuff.

This has always been my thinking.

 

[stringer]

Typically, when I make a chicken stock, I use roasted bones and roasted aromatics. Most recipes I see out there call for starting with raw ingredients. What are the pros and cons of roasted vs. raw stock for you all? Do you use them in different applications?

Classic French way for chicken or fish is raw or blanched bones. They were often using stocks for veloutes (creamy sauces), consommes (clarified stock), etc. Where a dark cloudy stock would make their efforts to produce white and clear types of sauces more difficult. The French didn't lot of stuff that makes no sense flavor wise in order to make food that wasn't "dirty." For instance, white pepper. It tastes like powdered mildew but they would rather put that in sauces and on fish than black pepper because they are afraid of seeing little specks.

At work I still make stuff the French way for white and clear stocks because I am nothing if not a hypocrite. But I still use black pepper! I don't allow white peppercorns in my kitchen. And most of the time at home if I am making stocks I use roasted bones because I am using the leftover carcasses of roasted chickens.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I guess for me it depends. My daughter can have trouble cooking for herself so sometimes I poach a whole chicken for her and then I'll use that liquid for a stock or soup. It has flavor but yeah, not as much or as deep.

Sometimes I'm making a small batch with just a few odds and ends and maybe some innards and instead roasting the pieces I might just sear them in the pot before moving on. I do the same with the veggies.

But, when I set out to do it proper, then yes, I roast as many of the ingredients as I can.

Also, leaving the skins on the onion is the key to that luscious color.

 

[esoo]

When doing chicken stock, I roast the bones and half of the aromatics I'm putting in. The rest of the aromatics go in raw. Figure it's a way of increase the depth of flavors by having both raw and roasted flavours

 

[btbyrd]

It's a question of what your downstream recipe wants, I think …


https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-make-brown-chicken-stock

This is the correct answer.

 

[Gregmega]

Depends on the use for me. I used to do a large blonde stock as a base for prosaic uses and a fortified stock by running half of the blonde base a second time with roasted backs & aromatics (this time with burnt onion and roasted tomato) for the purpose of wanting the expression, depth, collagen, & intensity of a dark stock.

Now that I’m out of pro kitchens & only cooking for the family, I do a hybrid- I’ll start the stock with raw backs and then add a few roasted bones & raw aromatics. A more versatile ‘best of both worlds’ without the drama of running fortified stocks.

 

[ian]

Classic French way for chicken or fish is raw or blanched bones. They were often using stocks for veloutes (creamy sauces), consommes (clarified stock), etc. Where a dark cloudy stock would make their efforts to produce white and clear types of sauces more difficult. The French didn't lot of stuff that makes no sense flavor wise in order to make food that wasn't "dirty." For instance, white pepper. It tastes like powdered mildew but they would rather put that in sauces and on fish than black pepper because they are afraid of seeing little specks.

At work I still make stuff the French way for white and clear stocks because I am nothing if not a hypocrite. But I still use black pepper! I don't allow white peppercorns in my kitchen. And most of the time at home if I am making stocks I use roasted bones because I am using the leftover carcasses of roasted chickens.

I tend to use white pepper more in Chinese-inspired dishes, for whatever reason.

 

[TB_London]

I chuck carcasses in the slow cooker to make a simple stock whenever I do chicken and then freeze.
If I need a darker stock I’ll roast the carcass, veg, and add simple stock from the freezer instead of water

 

[MarcelNL]

recently I have taken to 'freshen up' stock by letting it simmer with fresh aromats to instill deeper flavors. For chicken stock my vote also goes to browned ingredients, I'm a sucker for big flavors.

 

[M1k3]

Also, leaving the skins on the onion is the key to that luscious color.

I hope you rinse them first. Otherwise that color isn't exactly "luscious".

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

...The French didn't lot of stuff that makes no sense flavor wise in order to make food that wasn't "dirty." For instance, white pepper. It tastes like powdered mildew but they would rather put that in sauces and on fish than black pepper because they are afraid of seeing little specks.

At work I still make stuff the French way for white and clear stocks because I am nothing if not a hypocrite. But I still use black pepper! I don't allow white peppercorns in my kitchen. And most of the time at home if I am making stocks I use roasted bones because I am using the leftover carcasses of roasted chickens.

I read this this morning and was like, "Nah, it can't be that bad. Right? This has to be a personal taste thing" I won't say I use white pepper a lot but I do have some and like a dutiful boy often add it to bechamel and the like. Well, there I was a few minutes ago making homemade ranch and thought about the white pepper... "Okay, I gotta try..."

Sprinkled a little into my palm, licked my finger, coated it with white pepper and took a taste. "Holy crap that is awful!" I exclaimed aloud through a scrunched face. Your description is spot on. I felt like I licked an old newspaper from the attic. I never tried it straight before. Ick! Like so ick I'm going to dump it and peel the label of the chair and use it for something else.

Thanks for the eye opener.

I hope you rinse them first. Otherwise that color isn't exactly "luscious".

Earthy?

I do rinse them and don't use anything around the root or if it looks too bad.

 

[MrHiggins]

The verdict is in. Roasted on all counts.

 

[demosthenes]

The verdict is in. Roasted on all counts.
View attachment 222500

Such a good idea! Always used carcasses of roasted chickens when making stock, but never thought to roast the vegetables too.

 

[mengwong]

Sprinkled a little into my palm, licked my finger, coated it with white pepper and took a taste. "Holy crap that is awful!"

Y’all’s white pepper be stale, time to re-up.

Anyway the new new thing is whole pink peppercorns lightly sprinkled.

 

[blokey]

White pepper have a strange taste if you are used to black pepper, but they are good at livening up soups, the pungent taste actually blends really well with mild soup, especially Chinese chicken or fish soup, the pepper neutralize the more oily and fatty aspect, can't do one without white pepper, they are also great with congee. They are used on raw meat to get rid of the raw taste and bloody taste, which is an important part of Chinese cooking.

Y’all’s white pepper be stale, time to re-up.

Anyway the new new thing is whole pink peppercorns lightly sprinkled.

Are those unicorn poop?

 

[ThirdJewel]

I typically blanch my chicken to release some scum before rinsing it and putting it back into a pot of clean water. I then add everything else in raw because I'm looking to get a clear broth.

 

[MarcelNL]

it has already ben said; if your white pepper taste funky it's stale and you should get some fresh (from a good source).

 

[MrHiggins]

I typically blanch my chicken to release some scum before rinsing it and putting it back into a pot of clean water. I then add everything else in raw because I'm looking to get a clear broth.

Why do you want a clear broth? Aesthetics only, or do you prefer the flavor? What types of dishes are you using your clear broth for?

 

[ThirdJewel]

Why do you want a clear broth? Aesthetics only, or do you prefer the flavor? What types of dishes are you using your clear broth for?

It's just the way I was taught to cook. Probably rooted in Chinese traditional medicine or something. Don't quite understand what any of it means but still follow it.

Chicken stock is either going to go into rice (instead of water), as a base for noodle soup, or by itself as a pre-dinner soup.

 

[wcothran]

It depends for me. For soup I’m going raw. Everything else gets a light roast

 

[gentiscid]

Roasted, deep full flavor and color!

 

[Ganymede]

'No color, no flavor'... so I always brown that stuff. To me the extra flavor from the caramellization is what really adds depth. If I wanted a lighter stock I could just get store-bought stuff.

I agree that roasted bones gives more robust flavor. What makes more noticeable difference to the flavor of the stock is when I roast chicken back bones which tend to come with substantial amount of meat attached, it makes really delicious stock - good enough to call it chicken soup already. By the way, I have tried aromatic veggies roasted as well as not roasted. Unfortunately, I am unable to tell that much difference in the outcome. So, aromatics go in raw.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Anyone use chicken feet? My local butcher sells them and I've considered it a few times.

 

[More_Gyutos]

Anyone use chicken feet? My local butcher sells them and I've considered it a few times.

This is one of the times I would blanch and then roast, but would use if I had access.

 

[M1k3]

Anyone use chicken feet? My local butcher sells them and I've considered it a few times.

Lots of collagen in chicken feet. Would definitely use if they're cheap.

This is one of the times I would blanch and then roast, but would use if I had access.

+1

 

[btbyrd]

+1 on feet and doing a pre-blanch. I can get Tyson chicken feet relatively cheaply from Walmart of all places.

 

[Michi]

+1 on feet and doing a pre-blanch. I can get Tyson chicken feet relatively cheaply from Walmart of all places.

Wingtips work well, too.