This simple stock can be used for anything from soup to risotto.

2 whole raw chicken carcasses or 1kg of raw chicken bones
1 onion peeled and roughly chopped
3 stalks of celery, including leaves, chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced (or 1 tbsp minced ginger)
3 cloves garlic crushed (or 2 tsp minced garlic)
Salt
Ground black pepper

Bring 4.5 ltr water to the boil. Add onion, celery, carrots, ginger, garlic, one or two big pinches of salt and black pepper.

Gently add the chicken carcasses (or bones) and bring back up to the boil. Reduce the heat to a very slow simmer, cover and simmer gently for an hour.

Remove the chicken carcasses and set aside on a plate to cool. Once the stock has cooled slightly, strain into four 1.1 ltr containers, discarding the vegetables.

The chicken meat can be picked from the bones and added to the containers of stock.