Many of the most beloved Louisiana dishes may begin with a roux but if you want to take your favorite recipes from good to great, a homemade chicken stock is the way to go. With this essential Cajun stock recipe from bayou-born Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois, you’ll have what you need to upgrade your Cajun and Creole dishes. Here, he uses chicken backs, but any combination of bone-in chicken pieces (backs, feet, necks, or wings, to name a few) can be used to great effect. If you’re not sure where to find those cuts, try a local butcher or farmer’s market.
Brown Chicken Stock
Author: Jean-Paul Bourgeois
Makes about 12 cups
Ingredients
- 5 pounds chicken backs*
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 6 yellow onions, quartered
- 1 bunch celery, roughly chopped
- 4 carrots, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 2 heads garlic, halved
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 2 cups white wine
- 4 dried bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with butcher twine
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- On a rimmed baking sheet, add chicken in one layer, and toss with 2 tablespoons oil.
- On a separate rimmed baking sheet, combine onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Add tomato paste and remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and stir to combine.
- Roast chicken and vegetables until golden brown, about 1½ hours.
- Add chicken and vegetables to a 15-quart stockpot, reserving pans. Pour drippings from chicken pan into stockpot. To vegetable pan, add about ½ cup wine, and scrape browned bits with a wooden spatula; add wine and browned bits to chicken and vegetable mixture. Add bay leaves, peppercorns, and remaining wine to the pot. Cover mixture with cold water.
- Heat pot over high heat, and bring to good simmer. Skim foam occasionally with a ladle. Lower the heat to low, and allow stock to simmer for at least 4 hours and up to 6 hours. In the last hour, add thyme or other herbs you might have around.
- After the cooking period, strain stock into a clean pot with a colander or China cap. Allow to cool for immediate use or freeze in plastic freezer bags for up to 4 months.
Notes
*Chicken wings can be substituted.
Watch this dish come together on our YouTube channel where a new episode of “Louisiana Cookin’ with Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois” is uploaded every Thursday!
