If you’ve recently roasted or otherwise cooked a whole chicken you’ve already got the main ingredient for chicken stock: a chicken carcass. In a large stockpot place the chicken carcass (bones, skin, necks and back included) and cover with cold water. Plop in an assortment of cut up veggies like carrots, onions and celery. How many veggies you put in will depend on how much stock you’re making and the size of the carcass you’re working with is. This is not an exact science and it would be hard to ruin chicken stock by having too many or too few vegetables. Onions should be quartered, carrots and celery should be cut into halves.

In with the carcass, water and veggies you’re also going to throw some spices. Opinions vary on the best spices for the job so consider this just a starting off point: fresh thyme, parsley, peeled cloves of garlic (no more than 2 or 3), bay leaves and whole peppercorns (no more than a teaspoon or two).

Bring your mixture to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 4 hours. Strain the content of the pot through a colander reserving the liquid and discarding the solids. Refrigerate the liquid overnight. In the morning skim off the fat that has risen to the surface. You’ve now made homemade chicken stock. It’s ready for immediate use or you can pour it into airtight containers and freeze for 2-3 months.