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Homemade Chicken Broth
I buy whole chickens and cut them up to freeze for various meals. When I do that, I roast the backbones and breast bones along with necks so I can have them in the freezer when soup seems like a nice choice. (Roast salted at 350º 1 1/4 hrs.) You could also just buy some legs and wings and roast before making this broth. I also use the very centers of the garlic heads -- you know, those tiny little cloves in the middle that are usually too tiny to use for anything.
What you need
- Chicken: 3 roasted backbones, 3 roasted breastbones and 3 roasted necks
- 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 large celery stalks, ends trimmed, cut in half
- 2-3 large carrots, ends trimmed, cut into about 3-4 pieces each
- Several cloves garlic, unpeeled, cut in half across the middle
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 5 juniper berries (optional)
- 1 fresh bay leaf or several dried or 1/2 tsp ground bay
- 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 12 cups water
How to make it
- Place roasted chicken pieces (frozen is ok) in a large dutch oven or soup pot
- Pour water over all
- Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil
- Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 90 minutes
- Remove chicken pieces to a platter to become cool enough to handle
- Meanwhile, strain solids from broth - set aside or proceed immediately with soup recipe
- Pick chicken meat from the bones and set aside to be added near end of soup cooking
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