CHICKEN BROTH: GOODNESS IN A CUP

THE WONDER CURE??

Chicken broth is often seen as a wonder cure. It certainly is a soothing, restorative, tasty serving of goodness.  And, if the chicken skin and fat is removed, very healthy.  It is wonderful to drink, filling and restorative.

This recipe is 67goingon50's,  developed over the years. Unlike most chefs, the Blogger has no problem including greenery in stock.  Lettuce is the one thing that can linger in a fridge and it adds a wonderful sweetness to stocks.  Any other veg languishing in the fridge, including the frondy bits of celery, softening tomatoes (with any rotten bits taken out)  and (not too many) cauliflower leaves can also go into the stock.  

You will need a large stockpot or a slow cooker.

Cost: £2-3
Makes: 3 pints/1 1/2 litres

Ingred:
Any chicken bones  from the freezer, defrosted overnight (Freeze any chicken bones from other meals in a bag which can have chicken bones from other meals added to it. )
1 whole chicken quartered or 1 1/2 kilo thighs, skinned, or about 20 chicken wings
2 large onions. quartered
2-3 carrots in chunks
3 stalks of celery cleaned plus the frondy bits 
Any lettuce, cauliflower leaves or green veg you want to use up
2-3 potatoes, unpeeled, in  chunks
1 bulb of garlic, halved across the middle 
2 inch piece of peeled ginger
6 black peppercorns
1 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce
salt & pepper  
approx 4 pints/2 litres cold water 

Method:

1. Layer the chicken bones on the bottom of a large pot, placing vegetables in the spaces between
2. Layer the chicken on top with the garlic, ginger and peppercorns wrapped in muslin or a clean, rinsed j-cloth
3. Add the rest of the veg
4. Cover with water.  (If using slow cooker, make sure level of liquid is no higher than 2/3 of the total size of the cooking dish. Cook on low overnight or for 8-10 hours.  )

1. If cooking in a stockpot on top of the stove: on high heat, bring to a boil and boil hard for 5 minutes.  Grey scum will rise to the top; skim it off and throw it away
2. Reduce heat to a simmer; the liquid should bubble gently.
3. Simmer at least 2 hours, checking occasionally that the liquid is still bubbling.  If not, turn up the heat again until it reaches boiling point and reduce heat to a simmer.  
4. After 2 hours, taste and adjust seasoning.  Continue simmering if necessary

When cooking is complete and broth is rich and tasty,

1. Use a slotted spoon or Asian 'spider' (See 67's Essential Kitchen Gadgets) to remove meat.  Set aside and when cool, remove flesh from bones.  
2. Remove root vegetables and set aside.  Discard the rest.
3. Cool at least one hour then refrigerate overnight.
4. The fat will solidify on top of the liquid; lift or scrape off. The broth will keep in the fridge for 3 days (from date of cooking).  It also freezes well. 
5. Shred chicken meat from bones, freeze, and use in pies, pasta, soups or sandwiches
6. Freeze veg and use later, pureed, to thicken soups

This recipe and advice has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.