Traditionally, brown chicken stock is made using chicken bones that have been roasted until dark brown, but cooking instructor (and Skillet contributor) Helen Rennie offers a handy shortcut.
First, a brief primer on French chicken stocks: Clear, mild white stock (also known as blonde stock) is made of raw chicken and used for soups and deglazing, while brown chicken stock, which is made from roasted chicken parts, imparts a deep flavor to a wide range of classic sauces and stews.
Here's Helen's tip for creating brown chicken stock: turn to no-salt-added rotisserie chicken from the store. Because the bird's already been roasted, there's no extra oven time necessary, and the browned poultry adds a complex, meaty quality to your stock as well as plenty of collagen for a liquid that's versatile to be used later as a companion to duck, beef, pork, or any other protein. Note that a no-salt-added version is essential, otherwise your broth (yes, broth) will be far too salty.
In her video, she also points out the vast difference between store-bought and homemade stock by showing examples of both versions after they've been reduced down six times. The homemade rendition has a gelatinous texture that can give pan stock tremendous body, while the store-bought version has no body and tastes overly seasoned. Watch the video below for more tips, and for a step-by-step tutorial for making brown chicken stock from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Brown Chicken Stock | Helen's Kitchen Channel (YouTube)
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