Liquid gold.
- At May 20, 2010
- By Molly Chester
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9
Homemade Chicken Stock is prized goods in the Chester house. We sip on it with a little sea salt for breakfast with our eggs, cook veggies in it, make soups with it and more. Heck, I’ve convinced our landlord to let us switch our garage spot to a roomy slot next to an outlet, unknowingly enabling a future discussion about a stand alone freezer, all building towards the perfect solution for stock-piling chicken stock. Hooray! (He’s also unaware that John and I are dropping subtle and strategic hints for a roof garden, but one step at a time.)
Unfortunately, a few months back, I experienced an unwelcomed stomach bug. John was on the move in some city or another, and I knew that if I moved, it was not gonna be pretty. John, god love him, asked a neighbor to check on me, and somehow in my delusional state, I remembered frozen chicken stock. Drew, god bless him too, thawed and warmed it for me, along with a 1/2 gallon of fresh squeezed OJ from the corner store, and 4 hours later… I was blogging, not jogging, but blogging. It’s so good. But listen, it’s not only about “the healing power of chicken soup.” That’s no lie, but the real reason to incorporate chicken stock into your family’s routine is for your bones. Slow simmering chicken or beef stock (think 24 hours of wonderful aromas filling your house) will result in a delicious liquid filled with easily absorb-able minerals that will keep your family’s bones strong. No calcium pill in the world can match it. It will also work to heal your digestive tract. Broth… it does a body good.
I hope you don’t think the picture above is gross. It’s so beautiful to me, but I worried the raw chicken would turn you off. See, it helps that I know the chicken above was raised at Healthy Family Farms. I also know that I used every part of that bird. The breasts and one thigh became an upcoming cookbook recipe called Sticky Chicken, the remaining thigh, wings and back went directly into the stock.
I’m super excited to share this recipe with you! Mom and I have worked very hard on it, because this little Chicken Stock is standing tall, hair combed neatly to the side, just waiting for the completion of our beloved cookbook. But, there’s no time for publishers, editors and photographers when it comes to Chicken Stock. Now’s the time, people. It’s about our bones. We’ll be building on this Chicken Stock base for many blogs to come.
Click HERE for the Homcmade 24-Hour Chicken Stock recipe…
Looking forward to the delicious recipes to come!
xo
Organic Spark
celeste kellerhouse
Molly, Im going to keep this, looks great, not gross!
On a side note, ever eaten at Chinois on Main St? OH MY GOD – Wolfgang Puck's 1st restaurant, Pacific Rim cuisine, birthplace of the Chinese chx salad – so good – pricey, but if you ever want to treat yourself – go! Kind of random, but I had to get it out : )
Laura
I always knew that my best tasting soups and stews started with bone-in meats. Your post helps explains why. Thanks for the great recipe!
Anonymous
thnks.
why do we need to discard the fat?
elizabeth
Does it have to be slow cooked like that or can I use my pressure cooker?
Molly Chester
Hi All, Thanks for stopping by!
Anonymous – You don't have to discard the fat. If I am making it simply to be sipped on, I do not and enjoy it as is. But, if you are using it for a recipe, stock is universally known to be skimmed because it helps the cook control the fat content of the dish. You are the chef, so skim as you please!
Elizabeth – I do not know for certain, but I believe that you will not get the same nutritional benefits from the pressure cooker. The main reason for the long cook time is to allow the minerals to be absorbed from the bones into the water, and I think that process requires time. I stand to be corrected, though.
Hope this helps!
xo
Organic Spark
Beth
I have heard that one should crack the bones before making the stock, to let more marrow out, but that is hard with fresh chicken. We use the bones and skin from a leftover roast chicken to make soup/stock.
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