Twenty-six degrees….it was 26!!! degrees when I checked the thermometer this morning.  Brrr…wooden, raised, south Louisiana houses aren’t built for 26 degree weather.  So I’m warming up the house with a batch of chicken stock, set to simmer for hours.

Easy chicken stock

• 3-5 pounds bony chicken parts (backs, necks, wing tips)
• 4 quarts of water, an onion or two (don’t peel–the onion skins lend a golden tint to the stock)
• 4-5 ribs of celery
• 2-3 carrots, cut into large pieces
• 12 whole peppercorns
• 4-5 fresh bay leaves
• Optional:  4-6 cloves garlic, 1 T tomato paste or 1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato, and 1 tsp thyme

Bring the chicken parts, water, and a few teaspoons of salt to a gentle boil, cook for 2-3 hours, then add the seasonings.  Simmer for 2-3 additional hours, then strain.  Put the stock into pint containers and refrigerate or freeze promptly.  Refrigerated stock will keep for a week; bring it to a boil before using.  Frozen stock keeps for months.

With a supply of homemade stock in the freezer, soup is a snap.  Vegetable-chicken noodle soup is in my immediate future….as is chicken-shiro miso soup.

Now I’m counting the days until the weather warms; it should be 75 by Thursday afternoon.  Hurrah.