Chicken Broth

I make my own broth not because I have all the time in the world, but because:

• It's really, really easy
• It tastes way better than the store-bought stuff
• I believe in using as much of the animal as possible

Sometimes, canned broth is absolutely fine, but if you want to take a simple soup and make it amazing, try starting from scratch!  


Ingredients: 

• Some chicken bones (I'm starting with a fully cooked rotisserie chicken from the supermarket)
• Water
• Salt

Rotisserie chicken = the ultimate lazy mom dinner -- TWICE!  (Chicken night 1, chicken soup night 2)

Method:

Pick the meat off the bones and set aside.  Discard the chicken skin.

You will be amazed how much more meat is on your "used up" chicken skeleton when you actually go and take it off with your fingertips.  Don't use a knife or fork for this.  Do it bare-handed and you'll get more.

Place bones and any brown juices or brown gelatin in a big old pot or a slow-cooker.

Mmmm... hungry yet?  Chicken stock: maybe not the most appetizing photo recipe on the internet.

Cover the bones with water, filling pot up near the top.  Add a tbs salt.  Cover, and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer.  Allow to simmer (still covered) for a couple of hours.  If you're using a slow cooker, just set it in the morning and leave it all day.  High or low slowcooker settings will work for this recipe.

This still doesn't look appetizing, so tune in for the upcoming chicken soup and risotto recipes, where chicken broth goes from pallid and gross to totally delicious!

Taste, and salt to taste, or leave that step for later when you're cooking with the broth.

Strain out bones and other solids.  You can strain straight into another pot and start making soup immediately, or into a bowl to keep overnight, or into storage containers to freeze.  If freezing, store in batches small enough that you'll actually use them up next time you need them.  You don't want to thaw and re-freeze this all the time.  If not freezing, use quickly, as in today or tomorrow.  Fresh chicken broth is awesome, but only if it's actually fresh.



Notes: 

• I used to make this with an onion, celery, carrot, and herbs in the broth, but I've decided I like it better plain.  I can then add veggie and herb flavors later that specifically match whatever I want to cook.
• You can boil the chicken skin too, if you want, but it releases a lot of fat.  This can help protect against freezer burn if you're freezing, because you're going to discard the fat eventually, and that is the layer that seals off the surface of your broth.  Just beware that any sauce on the skin is going to flavor your broth, as is any charred flavor, so broth made with skin is stronger tasting than just bones.
• You can make up a small batch with just a few bones, like if you had wings or a bbq chicken leg, just toss that bone in a little saucepan with some water and boil it while you ready other ingredients for your recipe.
• If you have problems with raccoons tearing your trash apart, or if you just don't want your kitchen garbage pail to stink, freeze your chicken waste until trash collection or transfer station visit. I learned that one when we lived on the farm.  Now we freeze all our stinky trash!