Homemade Chicken Broth heals all
Homemade chicken broth is the ultimate comfort food. After all, is there anything more comforting than a warm little mug of this tasty elixir to drink when you’re sick or sad?
For the past month or so, I have been sick…TWICE! The first time was a bit of a cold that made its way through the house. First my husband, then my child and lastly me. Overall, in terms of sickness, it could be classed as just a bit of a bummer, with its minor symptoms of fatigue, cough, and congestion. It also took a mere week to fully recover.
Then came the flu and all the fun that came with it. Gasping for breath, shaking from fever and chills and violently coughing. I even entertained the suspicion that I had the coronavirus. Luckily for me, some Vick’s vapor rub, rest and a lot of sleep slowly got me through it all.
In all that time feeling miserable, the only thing that could possibly restore faith and comfort to my sad demeanor was homemade chicken soup. Salty broth, wholesome veg and tender little chunks of chicken nourished my body and my soul.
But to get that kind of soup, you can’t skimp on the minor details or the hard work. You gotta make the chicken broth homemade. No offense to the bouillon cubes or stuff in a can, but homemade broth is the best and not only for soup too.
With a good stock, you can build flavors in whatever it is you are cooking. I always have some kicking around in the freezer for risotto, fricasse and various other recipes that require a cup or two of chicken broth (SPOILER ALERT: there are a ton).
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of making homemade stock. I know it seems like ‘expert level’ cookery but, in fact, it’s quite simple, with only 3 major steps: roast, simmer for hours, strain. That’s all.
Roast your bones in a baking tray until golden brown, transfer them into a large stockpot with all the veg and herbs and top with water then simmer for 3-4 hours. Strain the debris from the stock using a colander and season at the end with salt to taste. You’ll be cooking like a pro in no time!
Healing Chicken Bone Broth made with Fresh Herbs
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: 1-2 Liters 1x
Description
A delicious homemade chicken bone broth made with fresh herbs and vegetables. Use this in cooking to give your recipes an extra boost or drink by itself. #chicken #broth #stock #soup
Ingredients
3 chicken carcasses (and any remaining bones you have around)
a drizzle of olive oil
sea salt
1 onion (peeled and sliced in half)
6 cloves of garlic (peeled and smashed)
1 medium carrot (peeled and roughly chopped)
2 stalks of celery (roughly chopped)
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
a small handful of fresh thyme
Instructions
Preheat oven to 230 C / 450 F.
Place the chicken carcasses and any bones you have into an oven tray. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and generously sprinkle with sea salt. Roast in the oven for 45 min – 1 hour or until golden brown. Be careful not to burn them.
In a large stockpot, add onion, garlic, carrot, celery, rosemary, thyme and roasted chicken pieces along with any roasting juices in the oven tray.
If you have any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the baking tray, add a cup or so of hot boiling water to the pan. Let sit for 20 minutes or so until softened up then stir up the pan. You should get a nice, golden brown liquid from this which you can add to the stockpot. This will provide a richer flavor and darker color.
Fill stockpot up with water and heat on the stove on high heat until you reach a boil. Once a rolling boil has been reached, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 3-4 hours. After 3-4 hours, the carcasses should be broken down and all the veg material will be mushy.
Place a colander over a large bowl or stockpot and strain stock through a colander. Discard debris and season remaining stock with sea salt. It should take 1-2 tsp of sea salt depending on personal taste.
Let cool then package up in the freezer for future use.
Notes
Always make sure to keep the bones and carcasses of any chicken that comes your way. I collect them in a big ziplock bag in the freezer until I have enough to make stock. If not, check the meat section of your local grocer for any carcasses or bones. They usually are cheap and come ready for stock making.
If you are using bones, make sure to cut them in half to expose the marrow.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Soup, Broth
- Method: simmer
- Cuisine: Western
Keywords: chicken, stock, broth, chicken stock
If you like this broth, try the lamb version:
The Most Sumptuous Homemade Lamb Stock Around
