What to do with stock remnants?

I’ve tried several things with the vegetables or chicken after making stock, but I have yet to find anything satisfactory. The chicken is usually hard to separate from the bones and not that flavorful, and the vegetables are close to mush (I usually do a 24-hour simmer). The stock is great, but I hate throwing away things if I can use them for something else. Has anyone had success in using the remnants of making stock?

[Robin Garr]

Has anyone had success in using the remnants of making stock?

Dwight, I admire (and sometimes share) that desire to use everything from the pig but the squeal, as Mr. Hormel used to say, but isn't the point of stock to extract as much of the flavor as possible from the ingredients, implying that there's nothing much left to use?

I'm thinking compost ...

That's about all I've successfully used it for, and you're right. Although sometimes I'll make some rice using the stock just made and add the leftover vegetables to make an almost-good soup. It's that 'almost' that has me looking for other alternatives.

Dwight,

I do usually use the chicken from my stock, in Enchiladas or chicken salad, and I think it is fine. I usually start with an already brined and roasted chicken though, so the meat is still somewhat tasty and is not dry or mushy once it's been made in the stock.

I don't add carrots to my stock, because once a week I boil carrots as a sidedish for my children. I pour the leftover boiled carrot water into my already made stock, along with celery salt, a bay leaf, and some onion powder, so I am not cooking down veggies and throwing them away.

If I did make a stock with veggies though, I would probably finely chop them and saute them with lots of butter and some fresh herbs, as sort of a hash style dish.

I never throw anything away. I don't know why, but I honestly cannot do it.

If I make a broth, I take care to stop the cooking in time to rescue at least part of the flavor of the meat I am using.
I will then use it in the same types of applications Maria mentioned.

Stock, OTOH, really does extract anything worthwhile, and the debris left in the pot is just that, IMO. Into the trash it goes.

Dwight, I've read about one use, and actually have three uses for the residue from making stock -- is there a name for the residue?

1. In a couple of books, I've read that some mean hearted chefs serve the residue to the kitchen staff -- never have been able to confirm that this is true. Orwell for one describes this use in Down and Out in London and Paris.

In my actual world:

2. Prepare remouillage by simmering the residue a second time -- the word means "re-wetting" in French. The CIA taught me this technique in boot camp -- it creates a secondary stock that can be used as the liquid for stocks, broths, a cooking medium or reduced to a glaze.

Of course, you still have the residue from the second simmer to worry about:

3. Flavor and some of the food value is extracted from the residue, but there is still apparently some value left -- protein especially -- and our dogs love the stuff -- apparently they don't taste food well anyway. I always take the bones out before feeding it to them.

4. Make mulch -- again the bones need to be broken up but there is some plant food in the residue, even the bones, if you have time to let them decompose, or if you have time to grind them up separately. A leaf grinder will do nicely, and you can make a pretty good bone meal for roses.

Regards, Bob

Great idea Maria. I always hate to throw away the water I use to boil or steam vegetables. Saving it for making veg stock is a terrific use. Not sure if there are any salvagable nutrients in that water but it would make me feel better than pouring it down the drain.

I do pull meat/chicken off the bone and use it as filler in meat loaf/tacos ect - not as the primary ingredient but as extender.

in my experience, the chicken separates VERY easily and as mentioned makes a decent chicken salad. i'm sure the tacos would work and maybe a hash. similarly with beef - chop the left overs finely with onion and potato and it makes a perfectly passable hash. vegies i would regard as a loss unfortunatly since overcooked vegies are not very appetizing.

Thanks all...appreciate the help. Chicken salad is the most likely choice around here--that had been suspended from even being an option until we recently found a decent egg-free mayo.

Dwight,

I do an egg-free version of chicken salad...I use a mustard vingarette, some bread crumbs and some tarragon. It's really delicious and it doesn't require egg or soy.

I know there are a few members here that don't care for Mayo, so they may be able to give some good mayo-free chicken salad suggestions.

I was thinking, too, that you might want to puree the "remants" with some of your stock...add a little cream and sherry and have a lovely soup.

Try offering the flavorless, and mushy veggies to your dog, mixed in with his regular meal. Mine loves it! Throw out the onion and garlic, first as dogs do not tolerate these. Offer no more than 1/4 cup or less of the rest of the veggies to see how it is tolerated.

Maybe, just maybe, you could use the chicken leftovers in something like a pie ? Where the flavour is so strongly in the sauce, that you use the meat more as filler than anything else ?

On a slightly different note, my mother always uses the rinse water from washing raw rice to water her garden. Plants seem to love the starchy residue. I know one lady who had the only fruiting mango tree on her street, and she swore it was from the rice water...

Celia

Just like they all have said: Chicken Pot Pie, Enchiladas, etc. Anything where you can moisten the chicken a little and include it into a larger casserole of some sort is great.

rwj

I simmer in water for six hours the chicken bones and remnants, after the chicken has been roasted and eaten. No meat left over.