Cheater’s Chicken Stock has true chicken flavor

Most of the year, my freezer is crammed full of plastic bags of chicken stock, stacked one atop another. But come January, I deplete the supply far faster than I can replenish it. Some weeks there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to make stock from scratch.

Those weeks, I rely on a simple, frugal equation of easy-to-memorize proportions of canned chicken broth, raw chicken parts, water and aromatics. The ingredients simmer ever so gently for less than half an hour, sufficient time for the chicken to poach to a plump perfection and, in a happy coincidence, for the broth to be imbued with a true, not tinned, chicken-y flavor balanced by the natural sweetness of the vegetables. The chicken can then be shredded and used in the soup or saved for any of several other uses.

I was introduced to the technique in a recipe by “Good Fat” author and “Best American Recipes” series editor Fran McCullough, who drew no special attention to the trick. (A missed opportunity, to my mind.) Other variations on cheater’s chicken stock exist. But only hers achieves a simple, pristine flavor that melds perfectly with whatever the destination recipe. In the dead of winter, its only competition is completely-from-scratch homemade.

Cheater’s Chicken Stock

Adapted from “Good Fat” by Fran McCullough (Scribner, 2003).

Two 14.5-ounce or one 32-ounce package chicken broth, preferably low-sodium

2 cups water

1/2 onion, peeled and cut in half

1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves

In a saucepan or pot over medium-high heat, bring all of the ingredients almost to a boil so that just a few bubbles break the surface of the liquid. Do not boil the liquid or the chicken will become tough. Skim any scum that appears on the surface.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer gently, skimming as necessary, just until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts.

Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool. Strain the stock, discarding the solids. Taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones and slice, dice or shred the meat for another use.

Note: Cutting each chicken half into pieces will speed the cooking time.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate due to recipe variables.