Chicken Stock, Mondo Vegetable style

Thanks to a surfeit of leftover vegetables, including five rubbery carrots, a pile of green onions that couldn't make it into green onion cakes, and two full tins of celery and carrot leftovers, we have some serious vegetable-chicken stock coming up tonight. The picture here is intended to give some idea of how much vegetable went in. In both of my last stocks, one yogurt tin of vegetables was all we had to go in. In the first stock (if memory serves), I added more water. In the second, I reduced longer off of less water, and this produced the gelatin that made for a thicker chicken soup.


This time, I'm light on the bones, and so the stock will be a vegetable-chicken stock at best. The bones of one five pound roast is all I had to offer up. I did not rinse the carcass, which turned out to be a mistake. I pulled loads of scum and fat off the top. This is the most water I've put into a stock yet, as indicated to the left here.

Simmer took about one hour, although it was up and down given that the temperature was hard to regulate. (definitely in need of a new stockpot.)


After simmer, added ice. skimmed the last round of fat (one and one-half Kozicki mugs, by the way). The reduction is still going after addition of vegetables, but I'm guessing we're looking at two plus hours for this. It's already 10:30 and I'm reaching my stock tolerance, but I insist on getting more flavor out of the stock.

Of course, what I'm missing is any kind of serious aromatic. I briefly debated throwing in a handful of cilantro, but decided against it in the end. Two bay leafs will have to suffice.

UPDATE:

The stock turns out beautifully every time, no matter what. I do think that some serious spices might help (peppercorns, anise, cloves, real bay leaves, etc.), but this makes for a nice stock, light on the chicken flavor, big on vegetable flavor. And all my vegetable soups get this added savory richness.