Sarah's Brown Chicken Stock

7 pounds meat and bones (backs, necks, wings are best) of chicken, chopped into 2- to 3-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
2 carrots, scraped
2 onions, peeled
2 celery stalks
2 leeks, washed

Bouquet garni:
Into a cheesecloth tie:
4 stems thyme
1 bay leaf
6 parsley sprigs
2 unpeeled garlic cloves
5 peppercorns

Brown meat, bones and vegetables either in batches in a heated stockpot, oil added. Or place all meat, bones and vegetables on baking sheet and brown in oven and then add to stockpot. When browned, add cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a simmer at medium heat.

As the liquid starts to simmer, scum will rise. Remove it with a ladle for about 20 minutes until it stops to accumulate.

Add the bouquet garni and add more water if necessary -- water should cover all ingredients by 1 inch. When liquid is simmering again, skim as necessary. Keep at a simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Skim fat and scum occasionally. Boiling water should be added if the liquid evaporates below the level of all ingredients. Never allow the liquid to boil to avoid fat and scum incorporating themselves into the liquid and making it cloudy.

Cooking may be stopped at any time and continued later. Never cover the pot totally before contents have completely cooled -- otherwise the stock will turn sour. After 4 to 5 hours of cooking, strain the stock out of the stockpot into a bowl. Press on the vegetables, to squeeze out all the liquid. Discard the vegetables.

Let stock settle for 5 minutes. Remove fat from its surface with a ladle, then draw paper towels over the surface of the stock to blot up last traces of fat. Or put the stock into the refrigerator, uncovered, until fat on top has hardened and can be scraped off.

Taste the degreased stock for taste. Boil it down to evaporate some of its water content and to concentrate its strength. Chill in ice-bath. Cover and refrigerate it, or bottle and freeze it. Stock kept in the refrigerator must be brought to the boil every 3 or 4 days to keep it from spoiling.