Converting chicken stock to soup

[bloviatrix]

I'm not sure if any of the instructors are still checking the early eGCI lessons, so I'm duplicating my question here.

I finished making my reduced stock. I started with a 20 qt pot and 7 pounds of chicken carcasses. I finished with about 18 ounces of liquid. The color is deep brown like apple cider.

I need to convert some of the stock into chicken soup. I though I would take 3 ounces of stock, add 2 quarts of water, a mirepoix, aromatics, and simmer. Is my thinking correct? Do I need to add more chicken? Are my ratios wrong?

I need to do this today in order to have chicken soup ready for the pre-fast meal, so a quick answer is appreciated.

[jackal10]

Depends how strong you llike your soup. You can always add more, or more water when you taste it.

3oz sounds a bit mean to me. I'd normally use say a 3 lb chicken for that amount of soup, so I'd use at least 9oz of your stock.

You will need some salt, or soy. I also like to add a glug of Maderia wine, and cook it out. In my tradition the vegetables are served with the soup, so not cut too fine. Some like Barley, or noodles, or kneidlach or other garnishes

[Chef Fowke]

The original stock sounds really beautiful to me! Why waste it on soup. Save it for a great reduction or sauce.

When I am making a soup; say a leek and potato soup for home I take the ingredients (leek, onions, garlic, potato, scallion) and sauté them in a large stockpot. When translucent I add raw chicken bones, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme and rosemary wrapped in cheesecloth and tied tightly with twine. I then top the stockpot up with water and simmer for a few hours. Before I puree the soup I remove the cheesecloth package.

You get great soup made with chicken stock without the hassle of making a stock first!

[balex]

The original stock sounds really beautiful to me! Why waste it on soup. Save it for a great reduction or sauce.

When I am making a soup; say a leek and potato soup for home I take the ingredients (leek, onions, garlic, potato, scallion) and sauté them in a large stockpot. When translucent I add raw chicken bones, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme and rosemary wrapped in cheesecloth and tied tightly with twine. I then top the stockpot up with water and simmer for a few hours. Before I puree the soup I remove the cheesecloth package.

You get great soup made with chicken stock without the hassle of making a stock first!

The advantage of making the stock is that with one cooking session you can produce enough stock for several soups, risottos and sauces.

I am interested in your recipe though -- do you find that the flavour of the leek and potato survives after such long cooking? I tend to cook it only for 15 minutes or so, to get a nice light flavour.

Are there any noticeable changes in the flavour or the texture compared to the shorter cooking?

[bloviatrix]

Depends how strong you llike your soup. You can always add more, or more water when you taste it.

3oz sounds a bit mean to me. I'd normally use say a 3 lb chicken for that amount of soup, so I'd use at least 9oz of your stock.

You will need some salt, or soy. I also like to add a glug of Maderia wine, and cook it out. In my tradition the vegetables are served with the soup, so not cut too fine. Some like Barley, or noodles, or kneidlach or other garnishes

Thanks for telling me I need to re-think my quantity of stock. That's part of what I was looking for.

But do I need to add any more vegatables or chicken? Or is the flavor ok as it is?

I actually don't think I need to add any salt since I used kosher chickens and the necks, especially tend to have a lot of salt in them.

BTW, I'm serving with Matzo balls.

[Fat Guy]

I though I would take 3 ounces of stock, add 2 quarts of water, a mirepoix, aromatics, and simmer.  Is my thinking correct?  Do I need to add more chicken?  Are my ratios wrong?

What's wrong is the assumption that there's any way to answer this question other than by tasting.

When dealing with natural products and long-extraction cooking, where there is so much variation, you simply can't rely on a mathematical formula. You have to rely on your taste buds.

Add some stock. Make the soup. Taste it. Add more, let it incorporate, and see where you are. If seasoning needs to be adjusted, adjust. If more mirepoix seems desirable, add it.

Eventually, as you repeat the stock- and soup-making processes in your home, in your stockpot, on your stove, with the chickens you typically buy, etc., you will develop a sense of what works for you. Until then, don't be tempted by the futile search for formulas. Taste, taste, and taste again until you've made something you love.

[Chef Fowke]

The advantage of making the stock is that with one cooking session you can produce enough stock for several soups, risottos and sauces.

Yes, agreed. I was trying to, unclearly obviously, give another alternative to making a big stock at home. I find it cumbersome to make stocks at home. In an industrial kitchen it is second nature and there is always three or four different stocks and sauces simmering...

At home I use the chicken-bones-in-cheesecloth trick to speed up the process and reduce the mess ( I do not have four Sous Chefs at home prepping and cleaning for me).

The reality is there is no substitution for a great stock when making soups and sauces. If you have the time, space and patience take the time and do it right.

[wesza]

I have found that it's always better, to have on hand at home or in a restaurant what i consider the most important backup. I've always keep 5 variations of a Demi- Glace, home or house made reduction extract in my freezer in IQF Cubes. Beef, Veal, Chicken, Pork and Vegetable. All are made unsalted, slowly reduced and natural.

Any one of these may often be able to provide the ooomph, for that sometimes, something missing that requires some Pizzazz. The are able to enhance most dishes, soups or almost anything. They even may help liven up a salad dressing or White Sauce. There been times when some ones spilled, burned or overseasoned a dish that this has saved the day. It's a excellent security blanket or a good secure investment. I was taught this many years ago, by "Henri Soule", the owner of Le Pavillion Restaurant in NYC. Irwin

[Carlovski]

The original stock sounds really beautiful to me! Why waste it on soup. Save it for a great reduction or sauce.

I can't think of a better use for it! If you have a great stock - a soup is the best way to show it off.

[bloviatrix]

At home I use the chicken-bones-in-cheesecloth trick to speed up the process and reduce the mess ( I do not have four Sous Chefs at home prepping and cleaning for me).

This is an absolutely brilliant idea. I have to try it next time. The chicken carcasses I used completely broke down and were a mess to remove.

Fortunately, I had one sous chef helping aka my husband. He comes in handy for chores such as lifting a heavy stock pot and chopping onions.

[snowangel]

Add some stock. Make the soup. Taste it. Add more, let it incorporate, and see where you are. If seasoning needs to be adjusted, adjust. If more mirepoix seems desirable, add it.

And, remember, how chickeny or strong you want your broth for soup will depend on what sort of soup you are aiming for. If I want a hearty chicken soup, I want it stronger. If I am using the broth as a backdrop for a light vegetable soup, I want it weaker.

As FG says, taste, taste, taste.

[Rachel Perlow]

So, how did it come out 'trix?

[bloviatrix]

So, how did it come out 'trix?

It was ok, but if I go with the stock to soup method I'm going to have to play with it a little more. The flavor was perfect for the pre-fast meal. Not super seasoned, with a mild chicken flavor. I ended up adding some carrots, onion, and celery to the pot and letting it simmer for a bit.

I think I'm going to take Chef Fowkes's suggestion and use this stock for flavoring pilafs, risottos, sauces etc. I've been using canned stock and it has so much fat and salt, it'll be a pleasure to pull something homemade out of the freezer. The chicken soup I usually make is fairly fail-proof, plus with the carcass in cheesecloth it will be even easier to do (I shared this idea with my mil and she loved it).

But this hasn't put me off stock making. I just became the proud owner of 8 pounds of veal bones. I'm going to get a new large stock pot this week (My old 20 quart is scorched on the bottom) and make up a pot of veal stock.

[Chef Fowke]

Try putting a bouquet garni in with the chicken bones wrapped in cheesecloth for more flavour.

PS I will state again, nothing replaces a really well made stock. This is just a quick time saver that is better then using bouillon cubes or canned stock.

[Bicycle Lee]

to make a soup out of cubes or cans is blasphemy

in my opinion

[Blake]

to make a soup out of cubes or cans is blasphemy

in my opinion

It depends on the gods you worship.

Blake