What you will need:
1 Whole Organic Free Range Chicken
Please note non – organic and battery raised chickens often do not produce stock that gels – for best stock results use organic Chicken.
OR 2-3 pounds of bony chicken parts (breastbone, feet, back, wings, necks etc)
Approx. 4-5 litres Cold Filtered Water
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Onion
2 Carrots
3 sticks of celery
2 bulbs garlic
Bunch of Parsley (optional)
Method
You can either use a Whole chicken that you have already roasted and stripped the meat off so you are left with the carcass OR you can use a whole chicken. Place all of the bones (or the chicken) in a stainless steel saucepan and cover with filtered water. It is important you start with cold water – please see below.
Add all of the vegetables, garlic and Apple Cider Vinegar, let stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Bring to the boil and remove any scum and impurities that rise to the top.
Reduce the heat, cover & simmer for 8 – 24 hours. (slow cookers are great for the simmering part)
The longer you leave it the richer & more flavourful it will be.
10 minutes before the stock is finished add the parsley – this will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.
If you have used a whole chicken – wait until it has cooled and remove the chicken from the stock. The meat is so tender and the flavour will be delicious, you can add it to soups, curries and salads ! Strain the stock for any leftover smaller bones and skin and then store it in a glass jar in the fridge until the fat rises and congeals at the top.
A little fact : The skin and smaller bones that by now will be super soft were traditionally fed to cats and dogs !!
Health Benefits
Essential to all broths is starting with cold water. As the contents warm in the water their fibres open slowly releasing the all important nutrients, minerals, juices and flavour to the stock. . Chicken stock has a natural ingredient that feeds, repairs and calms the mucous lining of the small intestine. The inner lining is the beginning or ending of the nervous system and is easily pulled away from the intestine. Things like laxatives, food additives, pesticides on our foods, antibiotics, vaccines and parasites can cause this to happen.
Chicken stock heals the nerves, improves digestion, reduces allergies, relaxes and gives strength.
Today’s western world has fallen into a very ‘throw away’ lifestyle pattern. Traditional methods of using every part of the animal, something our ancestors would do regularly has long been forgotten. The use of stocks and bone broths in today’s cooking are somewhat rare, thought to be time consuming and why make your own when you can just buy one? Unfortunately a lot of the ingredients of shop bought stocks negate the purpose and main health benefits we are trying to achieve here. Meat and fish stocks have always been a part of traditional cooking in France, Italy, China, Asia, South America and more but the use of home made bone broths to produce nourishing and flavourful soups and sauces has almost completely disappeared from our western culture.
When prepared correctly and organically, meat and fish stocks are highly nutritious, containing the minerals of bone, cartilage, marrow and vegetable as electrolytes. When Acidic vinegar is added in the cooking process this helps to draw out minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium and potassium into the broth (all of which you will find many people are deficient of today)
Other components of bone broths like Gelatin, cartilage and collagen have all been shown to not only be used in the treatment of chronic gut disorders but in bone disorders, rheumatoid arthritis and many other ailments. In folk wisdom, chicken broth (know as Jewish penicillin) is a valued remedy for the flu. The 12 th century physician Moses Maimonides prescribed chicken broth for colds and asthma and modern research has confirmed that broth helps to prevent and mitigate infectious diseases and provide continuous protection from many health problems.
Another traditional belief is that fish stock made from the heads of fish which contain the thyroid glands , supplies thyroid hormones and other substances that nourish the human thyroid gland. Four thousand years ago, Studies show that Chinese doctors rejuvenated their ageing patients with a soup made from the thyroid glands of animals. In ancient texts this treatment helped patients feel, younger , more energised and restore mental abilities. When you consider how thyroid problems are rapidly rising in today’s western fast paced lifestyle, with many symptoms such as chronic fatigue, weight gain, frequent colds and flu, inability to concentrate, depression and more serious complications like heart disease and cancer, we would do well to imitate Mediterranean and Asian culture and bring the tradition back to the table !
So, how do you introduce it back into your daily diet ? Simple, you can add it to anything ….. Soups, stews, curries, bolognaise, it can be a component of deliciously rich sauces and gravy that not only taste delicious but are highly nutritious for you and your family. No more shop bought nasties that are full of hidden sugars which as you know by now disrupt the gut ! You will find out how gelatinous your stock is when it is refrigerated, a layer of fat will rise to the top which you can easily scrape off and have access to the jelly underneath ! How satisfying when adding it to your meals knowing exactly what is in your food and how nourishing it will be as a regular part of your families diet !
Clear stock will last approximately 5 days in the fridge, longer if re-boiled, and several months in the freezer. I find it handy to always keep a jar in the fridge throughout the week to add to meals or even turn into a drinkable cup of soup by adding herbs and spices so that we can drink daily.
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