How to Make Chicken Stock in the Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

• 1 chicken carcass, or 1 pound bones
• 1 onion, halved or quartered, optional
• 1 rib celery, roughly chopped, optional
• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped, optional
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 to 2 quarts water, enough to cover

Directions

1. Place the chicken bones in the pressure cooker, along with the vegetables if you’re using them. Pour in enough water to sit nearly even with the bones, but do not fill the cooker more than 2/3 full. If the pot is too full, it will not be able to pressurize properly.
2. Lock the lid in place and check that the valve is turned to “Sealing.” Choose “Manual” or “Pressure Cook,” then set it for 30 minutes to an hour on high pressure. Use 30 minutes for a lighter, cleaner stock, 1 hour for a deeper, more intense one, or 45 minutes if you’re not sure which way to go.
3. The cooker will need about 20 minutes to reach pressure before the programmed cooking time starts. If the bones are frozen, expect that part to take longer.
4. Allow the pressure to come down on its own. This may take up to 30 minutes.
5. Pour the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a stockpot or a large bowl. Skim away the fat and use it right away, or cool it to room temperature before moving it to the refrigerator.
6. Refrigerate the stock for up to a week, or portion it into freezer containers and freeze for up to a year.