Chicken Broth
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen
Show: How to Boil Water Episode: Soup for the Soul
Total: 3 hr 5 min
Prep: 20 min
Inactive: 30 min
Cook: 2 hr 15 min
Yield: about 3 quarts
Ingredients:
1 (4-pound) chicken, whole
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
2 medium carrots, quartered,
2 stalks celery, quartered
1 leek, dark tops only
1 medium parsnip, peeled and quartered,
optional
3 generous sprigs fresh thyme or 1
teaspoon dried
3 generous sprigs flat-leaf parsley
5 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
About 4 quarts water
Directions:
1 Combine the chicken, vegetables,
herbs, and peppercorns in a large
stockpot. Pour in enough water to just
cover the chicken completely. Heat
the water to just under a boil over
medium-high heat. Reduce the heat
to a very low simmer, so that 1 or 2
bubbles break the surface of the
broth about once a minute. Skim any
fat and scum from the surface with a
ladle, large spoon, or skimmer. (To
prevent losing a lot of stock when
skimming, put the skimmed liquid
into a degreasing cup, and return any
useable broth back to the pot.) Cook
for about 1 hour or until the chicken
is cooked through but not dry.
2 Remove the chicken from the
pot, but continue to simmer the
broth. Cool the chicken for about 10
minutes. Cut the chicken meat from
the bone, and reserve for a chicken
salad, soup, or other recipe. Return
the bones to the pot and cook for 1
hour.
3 Strain into a non-reactive
container, like another pot, a
large bowl, or plastic quart or pint
containers. Fill the sink with a mixture
of ice and cold water so it comes
about halfway up the sides of the
container. Nestle the broth in the ice
bath. (Stirring the broth speeds up
the cooling process.) Cover and
refrigerate or freeze the broth for
future use. Broth can be stored in the
refrigerator for up to 5 days. If the
broth is unused after 5 days bring it
to a boil before using.
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