YIELDS 6 CUPS
The secret to a fabulous soup or stew is a long-cooked, heavily seasoned stock. Cartilage-rich chicken wings give wonderful body to this stock, and browning the wings before adding them to the stockpot gives an extra layer of flavor. Caramelizing vegetables and then deglazing the pot with an extra-generous glug of wine further elevates the stock and any dish you add it to.
Extra stock can be cooled, divided into zipper-lock freezer bags, and frozen for later use. Or freeze your stock in ice cube trays; remove the frozen stock cubes, store them in a freezer bag, and pop them into recipes that call for just a small amount of stock.
5 pounds chicken wings
3 medium onions, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
2 cups dry white wine
4–6 sprigs fresh thyme
10 black peppercorns
2–3 bay leaves
PREHEAT the oven to 450°F.
IN a large roasting pan or rondo, roast the chicken wings for 45–60 minutes or until golden brown.
TRANSFER the wings to a large 6-quart stockpot, leaving all of the fat in the pan. Place the roasting pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook them for 20–25 minutes or until they are caramelized.
WHEN the vegetables are ready, add the wine, scrape up the brown bits, and reduce until almost dry, 20–25 minutes.
ADD the vegetables to the stockpot with the thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Add 4 quarts of water, enough to cover everything completely. Partially cover the pot and bring to a low simmer. Cook for 3 hours.
STRAIN the stock into large bowl, allow to cool, and refrigerate overnight. Remove the fat and store for further use.