5 lbs. chicken parts and scraps
2 lg. onions, quartered
2 lg. carrots, unpeeled
2 leeks, trimmed, slit, and washed thoroughly to remove sand
2 ribs celery, leaves and all
1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California bay leaf
6 or 7 parsley sprigs
3 qts. cold water
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

I.E., backs, necks, wings, gizzards, but no livers (you can add turkey wings and necks as well.

Combine all ingredients, except salt and pepper, in a large stockpot and bring slowly to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer slowly, covered, for 2 or 3 hours, skimming off scum often. Add some salt and pepper after the first hour.

Strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or colander into a container, pressing and squeezing down on the solids to extract juices. Discard solids. Chill the broth thoroughly in the refrigerator, preferably overnight. When chilled, the fat will have solidified on top of the broth. Remove and discard fat.

This stock (and the stocks below) will keep in the refrigerator for a week and a half if it is thoroughly boiled every 3 days. Better yet, freeze it in small quantities and use it as you need it.

To make a wonderful chicken soup, submerge a whole small chicken in some of the lovely, defatted chicken stock, add a carrot or two, an onion, a handful of fresh dill, a trimmed, cleaned leek, and some parsley. Simmer gently, covered, until the chicken is tender and succulent, about 1 hour. Skim frequently.

Let the chicken cool in the broth, then cut the meat from the bones and cut it into chunks. Discard the skin, but save the bones for a future stock; they still have lots of goodness in them. Discard the onion, leek, and herbs. Skim most of the fat from the broth. Slice the carrot and add it back to the broth along with the chicken chunks and some fresh chopped parsley and dill.

Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg, if you like, and you have one of the most powerful culinary panaceas of all times. It's the kind of simple yet satisfying soup your kids will remember in fits of nostalgia.