Homemade Chicken Broth

1. Put the chicken pieces in a large pot and cover with 6 quarts of cold water. Bring just barely to a boil. Skim off and discard any foam that rises to the surface (there may be quite a bit).

2. While the chicken comes to a boil, peel the onions and/or trim the leeks (you can leave the peels on the onions, but they will turn the broth a noticeably darker, less golden color).

3. Add the remaining ingredients (onions or leeks, celery, and salt; carrot, peppercorns, thyme, parsley, and bay leaves if using) and return just to a boil. Again, skim off any foam that forms on the surface. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady gentle simmer (excessive boiling will make a cloudy broth), removing any foam as it forms, until the broth is wonderfully flavorful, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

4. Let the broth cool in the pot to warm room temperature. Strain and discard the solids (use tongs to remove bigger pieces, then pour the broth through a cheesecloth-lined colander set over a large bowl or second pot). Keep chilled and use, or freeze the broth, within a few days.

5. Frozen broth will keep for months. You can freeze broth in 1- and 4-cup containers to use whenever recipes call for broth or stock. Defrost and bring to a boil before using.

Note: Many recipes for stock do not call for salt, and even warn against adding salt to stock with horror stories of overly-salted dishes arising from salty stock. The teaspoon of salt called for in this recipe adds just a tiny note of brightness to the broth and helps draw flavors out of the ingredients; it is not enough to fully season the broth or any resulting dish. If you use the broth as a base for soup, you will need to add more salt to taste.