Delicious Homemade Chicken Broth

A staple for many recipes, chicken broth (aka chicken stock) is a key ingredient that can take your dishes from good to great! Why settle for the canned version at the supermarket, when you can make delicious homemade chicken broth?

Add some noodles, celery, carrots and pieces of chicken and you'll have the best tasting homemade chicken noodle soup too! Your entire kitchen will be filled with savory smells. Pick up a loaf of french bread, and a nice light dinner is served.

I'm dedicating today's post to my husband, who is sick in bed. Here's hoping that homemade chicken soup will raise his spirits a bit too!

This recipe makes about 8 cups of broth. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or you can freeze it for several months.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (about 3-4 pounds) - do NOT buy a rotisserie chicken. You need an uncooked chicken!
2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped
1 T vegetable oil (not olive oil)
1 head of garlic - yep the entire head - cut into 3-4 pieces
1 thick slice of lemon
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 T chopped fresh thyme
whole peppercorns
salt (to taste)
9 cups water




Directions:

Take a heavy Dutch Oven pot and warm the oil over medium heat. The chicken will need to be cut into about 4 pieces: leg, thigh, breast and back. Add chicken and chopped onion, then reduce the heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes until the onions are soft and there is a glaze on the pan.

Slowly add the water, taking care to scrape the pieces off the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic and lemon slice and then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 35 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pot and place onto a plate (to catch the juices). After it has cooled enough to handle. Take the meat off the bones and set aside.

Put the bones, juice and skin back into the pot, and add about 1/2 of the chicken meat. You can reserve the rest for sandwiches or pizza toppings. Add the celery, carrots, thyme and a few whole peppercorns. Bring to a boil again, and then cover and reduce the heat, simmering for about 45 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes and press the chicken and vegetables on the side of the pot to extract flavor.

Turn off the stove and allow the stock to cool. Strain into a large bowl. Salt, if desired.

Finally, you'll want to cover and chill the homemade chicken broth overnight. After it has chilled, you can scrape off the fat from the top and discard.

Now you have delicious homemade chicken broth to use in a recipe, or just enjoy as a soup.