Using a normal stock pot this used to take me 5 hours of gentle simmering to break the bones down enough to produce a good chicken stock. Since getting my pressure cooker I've been thinking about trying it out to do the same job in less time.

I've been making my own chicken stock for a quite a while now. Normally I do this after butchering a chicken and I'm left with a carcass. The chicken stock recipe I use is made up each time I make it. It depends what vegetables I have that maybe on the turn and need using up. The base ingredients always include chicken carcass, water, onion, garlic, bouquet garni and whole peppercorns. I just chuck some bits of vegetables in to add flavour, or you could use off cuts if you've done other cooking that day.

Recipe to make chicken stock in a pressure coooker

The ingredients (makes between 1 & 2 litres)

2 or 3 onions

3 cloves of garlic

chicken carcass (either left over roast or fresh)

vegetable or olive oil

small fist of peppercorns

salt

bouquet garni

random off cuts of veg chopped (optional)

 

Method

Chop the onions and quickly soften them in the oil, adding the garlic after a minute or two. Try and break up the carcass a bit using your hands (or scissors if you prefer) and throw it in the pot. Put the vegetables in if you have any to use, peppercorns, bouquet garni and a reasonable pinch of salt. Add water until the ingredients are covered. I don't know the limit of a pressure cooker but I try not to go over half full. The water can be straight from the tap or if you prefer from the kettle to speed the process up.

Bring to a simmer, shut the pressure cooker lid and bring to pressure. Keep at pressure as per instructions for one hour and a half (based on a 7lb pressure cooker). After the time is up, release the pressure and check the bones have broken down, if not do another half an hour.

You'll need to strain the stock once it's done using a muslin square. This is to remove any silt/bones from the liquid. Allow the liquid to cool a bit and settle, you can then decant it out into suitable containers either to freeze or keep in the fridge. I pot mine up into baby food trays and then freeze. I can then take out the exact quantity from the freezer when required by another recipe.

It does end up a little cloudy, if anyone knows out there how to make a clear stock using this method then please do let me know and I'll update the recipe

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