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Spice Blend Recipe Page Banner - TUSCANY

RECIPE:  HOMEMADE CHICKEN BROTH (BOUILLON/STOCK)

Homemade stock + tasty chicken meat... so easy, so delicious, you'll never buy stock (bouillon) again!

This is really a 4-for-1 recipe as you get about 3 litres of the yummiest chicken stock that you can use for 3 soups, stews or risotto recipes, and you also get super tasty, tender and moist chicken meat that is great for chicken salad or served over grains or pasta when you need a protein boost.

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I make this about every 2 weeks in my house...it's a habit that feeds my other habits!

PREP TIME:  5 min

COOK TIME:

WONDERBAG METHOD:  30 min on stove, overnight in the bag

CONVENTIONAL METHOD:  4-5 hours on stove

YIELDS:   2.5 to 3 Liters 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 whole chicken

  • 1-2 celery stalks, cut into large chunks

  • 1-2 carrots, cut into large chunks

  • 1-2 onions, cut into large chunks

  • 1 sachet TASTE OF TUSCANY spice blend

  • 1 TBSP salt

  • Water to cover

PREPARATION
CONVENTIONAL METHOD

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1)  Add chicken, celery, carrots, onions, TUSCANY spice blend and salt to a 5-6 liter pot.

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2)  Fill the pot with enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil.

 

3)  Reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer, covered, for 4 hours.

 

4)  Stir occasionally to check nothing sticks or burns to the bottom.

WONDERBAG METHOD

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1)  Add chicken, celery, carrots, onions, TUSCANY spice blend and salt to a 5-6 liter pot. 

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2)  Fill the pot with enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil.

 

3)  Reduce heat to med-low and simmer, covered, for 30 min.

 

4)  Seal your lidded pot in the Wonderbag and leave to cook overnight (the meat will fall off the bones the next day).

SERVE

STOCK:  Using a slotted spatula, lift the chicken out of the pot and transfer to a plate.  Place a large strainer over a large bowl and pour the stock through it.  You will end up with 2.5 to 3 liters (10-12 cups) of stock, that you can use for soups, stews, risottos, mashed potatoes, or simply a healing broth.  See Cook's Notes below for portion guidance.

CHICKEN MEAT:  Separate the nice bits of chicken and discard the skin and bones.  Use the chicken meat over salads, pasta, or grains.  Pictured below is a chicken salad made with celery, red onion, fresh spinach, and dressed with olive oil, a tiny bit of mayonnaise, a few spoons of the stock for moisture, and then seasoned with salt and pepper.

THE WONDERBAG

 

The Wonderbag is your best friend here as you can let it do all the work overnight - the work being the long, slow flavour development and the tenderising of the meat.  The next morning you will have chicken that just falls off the bone, making quick work to separate out the good bits.  And a broth/stock/bouillon with so much flavour, you might just drink a cup of it straight away!

 

AMOUNT

 

The larger the pot, the more water you can add, thus the more stock you will have.  My 5 litre pot gives me about 3 litres of broth using a small chicken.  If I have a larger chicken, then I use my 6 litre pot.

 

So just be aware that the amount of broth varies by how big your chicken is, and your pot is and thus your how much water you can add to the pot.

 

I use 1 each celery, carrot onion with a small chicken, 2 each with a larger chicken.  But I don't think it really matters that much.  Use what you have on hand!

PORTIONS & USES

 

I use 1 litre (4 cups) of stock per soup recipe, so this will give you enough stock for 2-3 soups.

 

A risotto for 4 people usually calls for 1.5 litres (6 cups) of broth.

 

You can also use this broth in place of water when making any kind of 'mash' -potatoes, cauliflower, celeriac, or stampot (Dutch dish).  It will just add another depth of rich flavour to the mash, and minimize the need to add milk or butter.

 

If someone is ill in the house, they get of cup of this broth and it's the best-tasting healing broth you can make!

COOK'S NOTES

Recipe & Photo Credit:  Cathy Menees

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