Celebrity chef and Barefoot Contessa star Ina Garten has given the world endless cooking tips throughout the years, whether demonstrating how to dress up canned cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving or pick out the perfect holiday hosting gift. But she’s especially known for making the most delicious comfort food around—and it doesn’t get more comforting than a good chicken stock.
Used for classic dishes like chicken noodle soup or even Garten’s own cheddar corn chowder, chicken stock is one of the most versatile cooking broths you can have on hand. And it’s not just limited to soups—you can use it to flavor any dish, from pasta sauces to pot pies.
Garten recently spoonfed us the details on how to make her famed chicken stock (or is it technically broth?) from start to finish on Instagram, and commenters have been sharing their support for the recipe.
How to Make, Use, and Reuse Ina Garten’s Chicken Stock
Garten’s chicken stock features fresh veggies like carrots, celery, and parsnips to add levels of flavor, while herbs like thyme, parsley, dill, and garlic lend depth and freshness to the stock. Another key tip she emphasizes is using whole black peppercorns rather than ground pepper, as they infuse the stock with heat and spice.
The chef simmers her stock for about four hours to get the most flavor out of every ingredient. Once it’s finished, you simply strain out all of the ingredients and jar the stock liquid to store.
Though you can discard the ingredients you used to make the stock, you can get even more out of them in another dish: Reuse them to make another batch of stock by adding fresh water (and fresh spices) to the mix and simmering for four hours again.
You can also reuse the cooked ingredients for soup or stew, or shred the chicken to add to other dishes (like meat sauces or even tacos). It’s true that most of your meat and veggies will lose some flavor once they’ve simmered for such a long time, but that just means you have to get a little creative with the type of meals you make with them. Though your simmered chicken won’t taste all that delicious on its own, it’s perfect for adding protein and depth to other dishes.
Once Garten has jarred up all of her stock, she usually stores it in the freezer if she’s not using it right away. Fresh stock can be kept in the freezer for up to four months, according to Garten, which means you have plenty of time to make a big batch of chicken stock (or a few).
More Chicken Stock Tips
Just make sure you learn from the disappointment many commenters and home chefs alike have endured.
“One time I simmered homemade stock all day long,” reads one top comment on Garten’s Instagram post. “It smelled absolutely glorious in my house and I was so excited. Then, when time to strain, I mindlessly put my colander in the sink and dumped all my stock down the drain before I even realized what I had done. It had scarred me for life and I will NEVER make that mistake again!”
To avoid this tragedy, set up a designated bowl with a strainer over it before you’re ready to take your stock off the heat.
If you manage to avoid dumping your stock down the sink, you’ll find that it’s the perfect addition to any soup, stew, risotto, pasta, gravy, and so much more. “Making your chicken stock and using it in my cooking has been a game changer for me!” reads a top comment on Garten’s post.
“I have shared your recipe for chicken stock many times,” another agrees. “It’s the best!”
