In search of the perfect macaroni and cheese: Homemade chicken stock

So, with my brilliant mind (but still lacking money), I decided that buying a whole chicken would be cheaper than buying 4 cups worth of chicken breast. The reason? To make green chile chicken enchiladas tomorrow for some friends of ours. The outcome? Chicken stock!

Quickest Chicken Stock

Makes 3 quarts

Time: 40 minutes to 1 hour

Note:
This stock has three distinct advantages: One, it takes less than an hour to make. Two, it has clear, clean flavor---not especially complex, but very good. And three, it gives you a whole cooked---but not overcooked-- -chicken, for salad or any other use.

Ingredients:1 whole (3- to 4-lb) chicken, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels

1 cup roughly chopped onion (don't bother to peel it)
1 cup chopped carrot
½ cup roughly chopped celery
1 sprig fresh thyme or pinch dried thyme
½ bay leaf
Several sprigs fresh parsley
1 tsp salt, plus more if necessary
I also added in a whole garlic head

Makes: About 3-1/2 quarts (14 C) water

Procedure:

1) Cut the chicken up if you like, it will speed cooking. Combine all ingredients except the water in a stockpot; add water. Bring just about to a boil, then partially cover and adjust the heat so the mixture sends up a few bubbles at a time. Cook just until the chicken is done, 30 to 60 minutes.
2) Strain, pressing on the vegetables and meat to extract as much juice as possible. Taste and add salt if necessary.
3) Refrigerate, and then skim any hardened fat from the surface. Refrigerate for 4 to 5 days (longer if you boil it every third day, which will prevent spoiling), or freeze

My thoughts on this? Pretty easy, although it took a bit longer than I expected it to. It was a bit difficult to try to make this and sourdough bread at the same time (more on that later), but I finally cooked it. Don't overly boil it, Mark Bittman says. It was also difficult to figure out how to drain the stock of all its materials when I didn't have a container large enough to fit all the stock. I used a mixing bowl in the sink, which then got hot and became difficult to lift out. Ah well... My stock is currently sitting in the fridge waiting for the fat to rise to the top.
The final final result? Our friends postponed until next week and so now I have all this stock and cooked chicken for nothing! Well, I suppose I can freeze the cooked chicken and stock and it did get rid of a lot of leftover celery I had hanging around....