Lidia's Kitchen Season 3 Episode 18 Chicken Stock

Lidia's Kitchen, season 3 episode 18, titled "Chicken Stock," is all about creating the perfect base for many delicious dishes. Lidia Bastianich, an expert Italian cook, shares with viewers her secret recipe for making chicken stock. She believes that a rich and flavorful chicken stock is the foundation of many dishes.

Throughout the episode, viewers follow Lidia as she demonstrates the process of making homemade chicken stock, from start to finish. She explains that homemade stock is superior to store-bought because it is free from preservatives and artificial flavors, and it has a richer taste. She also discusses the health benefits of chicken stock, which can improve digestion and support healthy hair, skin, and nails.

Lidia starts by selecting fresh chicken bones, which are essential in creating a flavorful stock. Using a large pot, she simmers the bones with vegetables such as carrots, onions, celery, and fresh herbs. She recommends using fresh herbs instead of dried ones for a more aromatic stock. She also adds water, which helps to extract all the flavors from the ingredients.

As the stock simmers on the stove, Lidia discusses different variations of chicken stock, such as adding beef bones for a heartier stock or fish bones for a seafood stock. She also shows viewers how to customize the stock by adding additional spices and herbs such as bay leaves, peppercorns, and thyme.

Throughout the episode, Lidia shares tips and tricks for making the perfect chicken stock, such as skimming off the foam that forms on the top to keep the stock clear and adding salt towards the end of the cooking process to avoid oversalting. She also talks about how to store chicken stock, which can be refrigerated or frozen and used as the base for many dishes such as soups, stews, and gravies.

The episode concludes with Lidia making a hearty soup that features the homemade chicken stock. She includes vegetables such as onions, carrots and kale in the soup, which add even more nutrition and flavor. As she plates the finished dish, she garnishes it with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Overall, "Chicken Stock" is a must-watch episode for anyone who wants to learn how to make the perfect base for their favorite dishes. Lidia's easy-to-follow instructions, along with her expert tips and tricks, make it easy for viewers to create a rich and flavorful chicken stock at home. Whether you are an experienced chef or a beginner cook, Lidia's Kitchen, season 3 episode 18, is sure to inspire you to create the perfect chicken stock.