Soups and Broths

I thought I would think outside of the box and try and help people in practical ways with not only food safety and good hygiene practices but also how to make basic soups and broths that you can freeze and use later if you have to self isolate.

Chicken Stock– this can be used for the base of many dishes including bone broth on its own or a stock base of any soups or gravies. It’s honestly delicious. I have it on its own every day and love it.

Chicken Broth (or liquid gold as I call it)

This is great I use this stock every day. Love it!

Ingredients

• 3 chicken frames (chicken carcasses or chicken bones) if you can’t get any then chicken wings work great

• 4 cloves of garlic

• 1 Carrot

• 3 Bay leaves

• 1 sprig of fresh Sage (or any dried herbs you have really)

• 2 Onions

• 2 ltrs of water approx. or whatever you pot takes to 2/3 full you ant to leave enough room for your chicken frames and other ingredients.

METHOD

Heat the oven to 200C. Yes high and hot. Put the chicken frames, 2 cloves garlic and 1 onion in a roasting pan. You want to roast the chicken slightly to extract every bit of flavour from them. Roast for approx.15 - 20 mins. But keep an eye on them you don't want them to caramelized you want them just slightly caramelized.

Meanwhile heat the water in a large soup or stock pot. I use both a pressure cooker and a normal stockpot. Fill it to 2/3 full and add remaining ingredients: garlic, onion, carrot, salt and pepper. I never peel the skins off, I simply cut the end dirty bit of the carrot, onion and garlic and keep the skins on. It adds more flavour.

Once the chicken frames have caramelised add everything especially the pan juices with the onion and garlic from the roasting pan to the stock pot and bring it to the boil. Reduce to a simmer.

Let it simmer for approx. 4-5 hours.

Keep topping it up with boiling/hot water as needed. It turns into liquid gold!

Let it cool (you can put it through a sieve to get rid of all the bits in pieces. I personally just keep them in) and place in zip lock bags and freeze. It will last for up to 3 months.

It’s great on its own or just add chilli, meat or chicken or noodles for Ramen. The list is endless. Or when you need a good hearty stock for soup or gravies simply take it out of the freezer and defrost.

I usually boil mine up again add other bits and pieces for bone broth and keep it in the fridge and just have bone broth everyday. It's the best collagen around and super good for you and if you get fed up with the flavour change it. Simply add another ingredient.

Enjoy

Lynda -xx-