Whenever I have homemade chicken stock in the freezer, I feel happy. I like starting with a base of nothing but chicken wings, which have the perfect ratio of meat to bone and which respectively contribute flavor and body to the stock. And give yourself some time to do it right. If you make the stock one days and chill it overnight, the fat will rise to the top and solidify, making it very easy to scoop off. (You'll then want to freeze the fat, which has great flavor, for special occasions, like making matzo balls.) After scooping off the fat, you will need to boil down the stock to concentrate the flavor. When it has cooled down, you can divided it into several resealable plastic bags and freeze it. By the way, I think I've finally figured out what makes Jewish chicken soup so special (aside from the fact that it is made by Jewish mothers and grandmothers). Watching my mother-in-law make her soup one day, I saw her add a parsnip. I have been doing the same ever since.

Ingredients

• 5 pounds chicken wings, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 2 small carrots, halved
• 2 celery ribs, halved
• 2 small parsnips, halved
• 1 bay leaf, preferably Turkish
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 8 fresh parsley stems
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried

Directions