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Spent a year butchering my own chicken stock, then a chef buddy showed me the shortcut
I used to simmer stock for 8 hours for that rich color, but it always came out cloudy. Then a buddy who works at The Catbird Seat in Nashville told me to just roast the bones at 400F for 45 minutes first. Now I get that deep brown color in 4 hours flat and it tastes way cleaner. Anyone else have a simple step that saved you hours?
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noahchen5mo ago
...but 400 degrees for 45 minutes is actually a bit hot for chicken bones. I found that out the hard way when I kept getting stock that tasted slightly burnt and bitter. If you drop it to 375 and check them around 30 minutes, they come out a nice golden brown without any of that scorched flavor. The real secret I learned from an old cookbook is to add a tablespoon of tomato paste to the bones for the last 10 minutes of roasting. It caramelizes right onto the bones and gives you that deep color without needing to roast them so long.
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ivan_perez5mo ago
Yeah nailed it. I did the same thing when I first started making stock, kept trying to get those bones super dark and ended up with a bitter mess every time. Dropping it to 375 and checking early fixed the whole thing for me too. That tomato paste trick is gold, I started doing it after a friend mentioned it and it gives you that rich color without having to push the heat. Makes the whole stock taste way deeper and more savory.
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