Starting with the basics: Episode 2
Homemade Chicken Bone Broth
Cooking should be fun and it should be something that gets you excited! There are a lot of different reasons for why I cook. The main reason I cook is to take my mind off the hard things, stress from work, stress from kids, stress from my spouse. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and my job, but sometimes “life happens” and it gets hard, but cooking has helped me through all of this. We all have stress, so why not turn that stress into stress free cooking time! Turn on your Bluetooth speaker, pour yourself a cocktail, throw on your apron, and get to cooking! It might not work for everyone, but it works for me, so I want to give everyone the tools for food therapy.
I have researched blogs for some time and I love a lot of food blogs, however I hope this blog is different from the others. This is a real blog from a real home cook. I like to cook, be silly, and spoil my family and friends with crazy meals. If you found this page and want to learn how to cook with real ingredients, I'm so excited for you because you have found the right place!!
Today we are learning how to make Chicken Bone Broth. WOW!! I promise this simple recipe is going to change how you cook and how you prepare for meals!
Why did I start making chicken broth? Why not? As this blog progresses, you will find that sometimes I just try things because I’m curious. I highly recommend you continue to follow this blog because when my creativity sets in…watch out! That is where my favorite recipes come from! For years I bought the stock in a box and I got to a point where I thought, “What is so special about this box and can I make this broth better?” I then researched what makes the bones break down, what brings the most flavor, what is the best process and then…I practiced. Eventually I perfected it and once that happened, all the meals I’ve made that use chicken broth were instantly better.
Using real ingredients makes food better.
Sometimes just getting used to using fresh herbs or making your own dried spices will push your “okay” meal over to a meal over the top. This is exactly why I decided to start a section of this blog with just the basics.
So Chicken Bone Broth…
I have a few friends who message me for recipes or ideas frequently and the first few questions that always are asked are:
“Do I need a lot of supplies?”
“Will this cost me a fortune?”
To both, the answer is no. You can make this simple and delicious broth with just a stock pot and a strainer, but a few pieces of equipment will make it easier and faster. I recommend using an electric pressure cooker, a fine mesh strainer, and a cheesecloth.
If you’re new to cooking, I’m sure you’re scratching your head and wondering, “what is cheesecloth?” Don’t worry, you can find this on Amazon, at your local grocery store, and even at Walmart. A cheesecloth is a gauze-like woven cloth, which I use a lot in my cooking. If you’re still not sure what a cheesecloth is, read my post on kitchen essentials. Cheesecloth can be used to strain gravy’s, when making some sauces, and of course when making chicken stock. I highly recommend you get this to have on hand in your kitchen, but if you don’t have any, it’s okay because for this recipe, you can just use a fine mesh strainer. Your broth will just be more cloudy, but it won’t effect the taste!
Lets get started cooking…
Chicken Bone Broth
Ingredients :
1 whole chicken (If you want you could use a rotisserie chicken to save time)
2 stalk of celery cut into 3 pieces
3 carrots cut into 3 pieces
1 turnip quartered (optional)
2 head of garlic, top cut off
1 onion quartered
Olive Oil
Thyme - Fresh
3 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar
Parsley - Fresh
2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
Black Peppercorns
Directions:
If using a fresh chicken:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the chicken on the middle of a baking sheet, breast side up.
3. Surround it with the celery, carrots, turnips and garlic heads.
4. Drizzle it with olive oil.
5. Insert a thermometer in the chicken breast.
6. Cook the chicken and veggies for about an hour or until the chicken breast registers 165 degrees on your thermometer.
7. Let the chicken cool and cut the meat off the bones. Do not worry about taking the meat off the wings.
This is what your beautiful bird will look before you take off the meat.
If you are using a rotisserie chicken start here:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the chicken from the bones and place the carcass on a baking sheet with the celery, carrots, turnips, and garlic heads.
3. Drizzle it with olive oil and roast it for about an hour.
4. Let the veggies and the chicken (if using) cool until it can be easily handled
5. Remove and shred the breast and the thigh meat. We will be freezing this and using it in future recipes!
After your chicken/ carcass and vegetables are done roasting:
6. Place the roasted vegetables, chicken carcass, wings, and drums in an electric pressure cooker.
7. Add the herbs (parsley and thyme), peppercorns, apple cider vinegar, and tomato paste.
8. Cover the ingredients with water, preferably filtered water.
9. Set the time for 1 hour and et it natural release for 10 minutes at a minimum.
No pressure cooker, NO PROBLEM:
If you do not have a pressure cooker, add the roasted vegetables, chicken carcass, wings, and drums in a large stock pot. Add the herbs (parsley and thyme), the peppercorns, apple cider vinegar, and tomato paste. Cover the ingredients with water and bring to a bare simmer. Simmer the broth for 8hrs, or up to 12hrs.
10. Strain all the LARGE pieces into the trash.
11. Drain the remaining liquid through cheese cloth over a fine mesh strainer.
12. Divide this delicious broth into quart containers and enjoy this for my future recipes.
