OK, I know what you're thinking; I can just use canned chicken broth for all my cooking needs. While this is true, chicken broth is just like everything else - homemade is always better. The key to making superior broth-based dishes is to make your own broth!
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (organic if possible)
- 1 gallon filtered water
- 2 large carrots, peeled (organic if possible)
- 3 stalks celery (organic if possible)
- 1 medium onion, peeled
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 - 4 inch long fresh stem of rosemary
- 6 fresh sage leaves
- 4 large fresh basil leaves
Method
Wash chicken, place in large pot with water. ALWAYS use filtered water. Add all other ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 1 hour. (The time may be reduced to 45 minutes for a small chicken - I just cooked 5 large bone-in chicken breasts, and reduced the time to 45 minutes as well. Chicken breasts tend to get tough if cooked too long.) Remove chicken, vegetables and herbs. Strain broth into a separate container for use. If the broth is to be used immediately, remove fat by skimming carefully with a ladle or large spoon. If the broth is for later use, place in the refrigerator. When the broth is cool, a solid layer of fat will rest on top of the broth and is easily removed. A note on picking chicken: I prefer to pick the meat off the chicken while it is still warm; I have found that refrigerating chicken before picking it makes it much harder. Besides, my three dogs usually demand their share as soon as it is cool enough to handle. Save the chicken for upcoming KZFM chicken recipes.
Note: If you are not already aware of this, Chicken broth is not the same thing as chicken stock. Broth is made by cooking the meat (still on the bone in this case), while stock is made from cooking the bones, which have often been roasted in the oven to enhance the flavor prior to simmering. Broth is always richer. Boneless skinless chicken breasts do NOT make good broth, and the breasts usually get tough while being simmered. Whole chickens or bone-in breasts make the best broth.
