It took me five years to learn how to make a chicken broth. I know, I know how could something that sounds so simple (put it all in a pot and simmer it until it's done) be hard to learn how to make?
I encountered many problems doing this supposedly simple task over the years such as:
- It was easy to put in the pot but not easy to take out
- It took too long to cook and too long to cool enough to put in the fridge
- All I got for my efforts was a lot of broth that didn't last very long and a little bit of pet food
- It made a big mess
- It made me grumpy
So I present to you my solution to all of these problems, an easy to make super simple broth that gives you a few complete meals besides the broth, tastes amazing, doesn't trap you in the house for hours on end and even the dog is happy. You will never buy a box, can or jar of chicken broth again, because those things taste nasty compared to this.
Here is what I do at least once a week:
FIRST PRO TIP: Do not use soup bones or soup chicken.
Use instead cuts of meat on the bone that you would normally roast. In this pot are four leg and thigh pieces, because in our house we are all about the dark meat.
Add onions (with or without skins) that have been cut in half, nothing more.
Add carrots that have been scrubbed, nothing more
Add celery if you have it, I did not for this batch
Add a garlic clove or two and a bay leaf or two
Add just enough water to cover. Some of it will float, let it.
Apply heat, and bring that baby on high heat to a simmer, about ten minutes for this pot
When it looks like this, a bit of scum on the top, gently skim the scum off.
Add parsley and peppercorns. Some people like cilantro, but my kids don't.
Cover, leaving the lid a bit ajar so it doesn't boil over.
Simmer like this, UNDISTURBED, for one to one and a half hours, until the chicken is cooked. Don't let it come to a boil, just a nice gentle simmer. Set a timer in 15 or 20 minute increments so you can check that the simmer has not turned to a boil. Keep turning that heat down. I have to move it to ever smaller burners.
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PRO TIPS:
- Don't let your broth boil. Boiling breaks the collagen if it boils too long, and it makes a mess on your stove
- Don't stir the broth or disturb it in any way unless you like mud colored broth
You may be wondering why I don't cut the onions - here's why. THEY ARE THE BEST PART OF THE WHOLE SHEBANG!
Remove the onions carefully with a slotted spoon or tongs and set them aside. If you can resist gobbling them down right away, do so. They make an excellent side dish to the full meal you are about to indulge in.
Remove the carrots and set those aside as well. My dog likes these so I give him some in the food I make for him and eat some myself.
Carefully remove the chicken pieces so that they remain intact and set those aside. That there is tonight's entree.
Strain the rest. You haven't made a ridiculously huge batch so this step, which is torment for a large batch, is a snap. And look how little you have to discard! My chickens like this stuff so I end up throwing nothing at all away.
Sautee up some spinach and look at this plate! A very nutritious, delicious, and low carb meal for four humans and a dog.
Here's the broth the next day. Be careful to let it cool UNDISTURBED so the fat rises to the top. This fat is easily skimmed off and can be used as cooking fat. The broth is nice and gelatinous underneath - there is no need to cook it for hours to get the gelatin.
Here I have about a quart. It's plenty for my household for a few days, which is, in my opinion, how long it tastes good. Even your kids will drink this salted.
This is my entry to 
All images are my own unless otherwise stated.
