But What Do You DO With A Whole Chicken? (Week Two)

**Focus on Broth**

Hello, Folks!

You won’t be surprised to find that I’m sipping a mug of hot, salted broth from our pastured chickens as I write.  It’s tasty, it’s nourishing, it’s healing.  I know how the chicken was raised, and I know what’s in the broth!  Chicken, water, onions, garlic, parsley.  Carrots if I’ve got them.  Thyme if I’d like.  But NO yeast extract or caramel coloring , “chicken flavor” or “natural flavors,” whatever those are.

Just for kicks and giggles, I looked at the price of a “box” of chicken broth from our nearby chain supermarket: $2.79 per quart.  By cooking the chicken in the Instant Pot, as we’ll do in this week’s main recipe, and then using the bones one more time specifically for broth, we will end up with 6 quarts.  SIX QUARTS!  That’s $16.74 in broth alone!

And the most difficult thing about making your own stock is straining it when you’re finished!  It’s one of the easiest things you can do in your kitchen:  put the chicken and/or even just the bones left over from a meal into the pot, add any desired vegetables and/or herbs, cover with water, and let it go.

So what are the benefits?  Well-made broth is full of melted collagen, nourishing the skin, the nails, the hair, the eyes, and the digestive system.   It contains electrolytes, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.  It is not in itself a complete protein, but the gelatin, acting as a digestive aid, allows for better utilization of the proteins the body does take in.  The glycine is said to help balance dopamine levels, which of course elevates the mood. (Hence, “Chicken soup is good for the soul.”)

And you don’t have to stick with chicken.  I used to keep separate bags in the freezer:  one for beef, one for chicken.  But now I just throw all the bones in together, and use it whether a recipe calls for beef stock or chicken stock.

Finally, real broth congeals!   Much store-bought broth is the same “texture” whether it’s hot or cold, but broth made from real chicken congeals when cold, especially if you’ve added chicken feet to it.  If your broth doesn’t congeal, it’s probably because you added too much water or didn’t cook it long enough.  You may also want to add a little vinegar or wine to your next batch to help draw the nutrients from the bones.

(Click the link here to get the recipes mentioned below.)

Stewing  Hen in an Instant Pot:  A simple recipe to make a tough bird tender.  The chicken can be eaten as is or shredded for chicken lasagna, chicken enchiladas, or chicken noodle soup using the tasty broth that develops as the chicken cooks.

Instant Pot Chicken Broth:  We’ll get TWO batches of nourishing broth this week.  First, we’ll end up with the broth made when we cook the stewing hen (or the broiler chicken, whichever you decide), and then we’ll mix the bones from this week’s chicken with the bones we saved in the freezer last week to make a second batch.

Chicken Bouillon Cubes:  These are REAL bouillon cubes!  No artificial ingredients, a ton of flavor, and a real space-saver.  I use them any time a recipe calls for a bouillon cube; I pour boiling water over them to make a quick cup of broth to drink; I add them to gravy to add a bit of nourishment and a little extra “oomph” to the flavor.

Heart and Liver:  Put these aside in the freezer with last week’s giblets; we’ll keep adding to that bag until we have enough for a tasty, protein-rich dish of Dirty Rice.

Chicken Fat:  Remember to set aside any bits of fat or neck skin that you decide not to cook with your chicken, and put them in the freezer with last week’s bits.

Until next week,

Your local chicken lady,

Jennifer Collins

The Collins Cluckery