Pressure cooker chicken stock

When I was growing up we were fairly poor so we learned to not waste things. Chickens were definitely one of those things. We would get a roast chicken, eat the majority and then remove everything edible for later and use the bones to make a broth.

A couple of years ago my amazing sister bought me a fantastic book that provided a really great chicken stock recipe. Before this I had no idea you should roast the bones and crack them to expose the marrow, it made a huge difference in the flavor of my stock.

My sister and mom got me a pressure cooker for my birthday this year and I have never in my life made a better stock. You can make this without a pressure cooker but you wont achieve the color that comes from using one, there is just no competition.

I do not roast my own chicken. I used to and I gotta say what a pain in the ass. I gave up on roasting my own and now I buy the organic, free range roasted chickens from King Soopers because they are way easier and I don't have to deal with a raw bird, which I only do if I absolutely have to.


Ingredients

1 roasted chicken
2 medium onions
2 ribs of celery
6 cloves of fresh garlic
Vegetable trimmings (I usually save my vegetable trimmings for either vegetable or chicken stock. You can use potato skins, tomato innards, bok choy pieces, celery trimmings, carrot tops, or any other savory vegetable trimmings. I do not recommend sweet potatoes or beets.)

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees

and start with a roasted bird - reserve the juice from the chicken and add to the pressure cooker pot

I use two bowls, one for the stuff that goes in the stock and one for the meat.

Remove the skin and put in the bowl, then remove all the meat from the bone.

Try to get the bones as clean as you can and set them aside while you work. It takes about 20 minutes to do all this.

When you are done separating then you can focus on the bones. I have tried exposing the marrow both before and after roasting the bones and I have found that you get much more flavor if you crack the bones before you roast them.

  I have a pair of diagonal pliers exclusively for this purpose

Crack the bones and expose the marrow

 Place on a baking pan or cast iron skillet along with the onions, garlic, and celery

Roast in the oven for about an hour or until you see the onions roasted

Fill the pressure cooker to the 1/2 line with COLD water. Part of the process of extracting the best flavor is starting with cold water. 

Add whatever vegetable pieces you have reserved for your stock

Add the chicken to the cold water

Gently bring to a boil (without lid) over a low heat

This should take about an hour

When it comes to a boil lock the lid into place and bring pressure to the second line

VERY IMPORTANT - cook this for no less than 4 hours for maximum flavor

When done cooking move everything to a stock pot and refrigerate ALL of it over night. 

The next day gently bring the whole thing to a boil

then stain the solids out

and enjoy your stock!!

LOOK at that COLOR!!!!!!

mmmmm