After enjoying wonderful roast duck legs last week, I just could not toss the extra fat/skin/bones without getting as much flavor out of them as possible.  Thus, later that night, I proceeded to make stock from it and some veggies I had around and created this succulent flavorful stock.  Use this stock wherever you would need stock or broth in just about any recipe, and oh will it taste so much better!  Duck is so much more flavorful than chicken, this definitely adds a richness to any dish.

Stock and broth are two different things, though I would argue that in most cases you can you either interchangeably.  This particular recipe is stock, because it is made from bones.  Though I did break a rule by adding in herbs and veggie scraps.  That’s typically only a broth technique.  But since when did I follow rules?  This tastes awesome.   Making stock from bones gives the liquid a much thicker texture (due to collagen), which I am guessing is why it is not as transparent as a broth would be.  Broth is mostly made from actual meat (no bones), and tends to not be as flavorful as stock.  If you want to use stock as broth, then you can dilute the stock a bit.  Stock can also be used to create things like various sauces and glazes and jus.

Jenn Cuisine

Duck Stock

Prep Time: 5 min to gather ingredients
Total Time: 3 hours

Ingredients (no measuring necessary):
duck bones, fat, skin, scraps, etc.
mirepoix (i.e. carrots, onions, celery – keep them in big pieces)
any other leftover veggies (I freeze veggie scraps when I am making dishes just so I can use them in things like this – I added some asparagus stalks here)
bouquet garnis of fresh herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram) – tie these so that they are easier to remove later
at least 6 qts of water

Directions:
1.  Add everything to a large pot.
2.  Bring just before boil, then to just below a simmer covered at least 3 hrs – don’t actually have it boiling. Enjoy the rich aroma wafting through your entire home.
3. Pour over a mesh strainer to filter out everything so all you are left with is the stock.
4. Pour into a sealable air tight container, and refrigerate, use within a week or so.

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The Title: Homemade Duck Stock
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You will notice on mine there is a decently thick layer of fat on top. I let this stay because it will block oxygen from getting into the liquid, and without oxygen, the actual stock will last longer.  If you really want that fat gone, once it is refrigerated, the fat will cool and harden and you can just remove it with a spoon. I think the proper thing to do is to strain this off periodically while making the stock, if you want to be proper.

Notice there is no salt and pepper in this recipe.  I can’t stand it when I am using bullion or purchased stock and it is so salty that I have no control over the sodium content in whatever I am making.  By keeping this stock salt free, then when I use it in recipes, I can add however much or little salt I want to achieve the right taste.  By keeping the salt out you have a lot more freedom with your cooking.