Name: Quick Homemade Chicken Stock
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Makes About 8 cups
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 onion, chopped; 4 pounds chicken backs and wings, cut into 2-inch pieces; 2 quarts water; 8 teaspoons unflavored gelatin; 2 bay leaves; 2 teaspoons salt

Why This Recipe Works

When time is limited, this method ekes out remarkably rich flavor in a little over an hour. We chop the chicken into small pieces (more surface area means faster flavor extraction) and then brown and sweat them to draw out their flavorful juices before adding the cooking liquid.

Before You Begin

A meat cleaver makes quick work of chopping the chicken into small pieces, but a hefty, sharp chef's knife will also work..

Instructions

Heat oil in large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until lightly browned and softened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to large bowl.

Add half of chicken pieces and cook on both sides until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to bowl with onion. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Return onion and chicken pieces to pot, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes.

Increase heat to high and add water, gelatin, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to simmer, then cover and barely simmer until broth is rich and flavorful, about 20 minutes, skimming off any scum that comes to surface.

Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into large pot or container, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Let broth settle for about 5 minutes, then skim off fat.