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pot of chicken broth

Chicken Broth

Brodo
Makes 16 cups
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Time to come to a simmer 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
  • 4½ lb (2 kg) chicken, pasture raised, whole (or pieces with joints, bones and skin, such as wings, thighs, drumsticks)
  • 2 lb (1 kg) bones (optional), fresh or frozen chicken, beef, or veal
  • 2 whole cloves (for onion)
  • 1 large onion, cut in half, peeled, root ends trimmed, and a clove stuck in each half
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
  • 1 stalk of celery, without leaves, halved crosswise (or half a fennel bulb)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and crushed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs of Italian parsley
  • a few sprigs of fresh thyme (optional)
  • 1 whole tomato (optional), ripe, halved (and/or 2 tsp concentrated tomato paste)
  • a few whole black peppercorns
  • 1 Tbsp sea salt

KEY: pinch (⅛ tsp) | tsp = teaspoon (5ml) | Tbsp = Tablespoon (15ml)

  • Place chicken (and optional bones) in a large stock pot.3 Add enough water to cover the meat by at least 2 inches (5cm), about 4.5qt/9pt/4.25L of water. Cover with lid slightly askew, to bring almost, but not quite, to a boil (takes about 15 min). Skim any foam from the surface.
  • Gently simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, adjusting the heat to keep it steady and as hot as possible without boiling. Don't stir or skim.
  • Add the vegetables, herbs, spices, and half the salt, and gently simmer for a further 30 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken and vegetables without delay,4 with a skimmer or slotted spoon, and set aside for a later use.
  • Strain: Ladle the broth through a fine sieve into a large heatproof bowl. (Optionally repeat for further straining.)
  • Taste and add the final amount of salt to your liking, or according to intended use. The broth can be used immediately, or after the fat is skimmed off, once cold.
  • Cool (in an ice bath) to room temperature, then refrigerate.
  • The next day (or when the surface of the broth has solidified after about 6-8 hours in the refrigerator), you can skim the congealed fat off the top. Place broth in containers of different sizes for future use (see notes).
  • Enjoy with many wonderful dishes.

Notes

  1. Makes approximately 16 cups (4 quarts/liters)
  2. Tools: stockpot: 10 qt/L or larger (16qt/L is ideal to accommodate double the amount), large bowls, skimmer or slotted spoon, ladle, large sieve
  3. To make a dark broth for deeper color and flavor (adds 15-20 minutes): Before adding water in step 1, cook the chicken in the stockpot with about a tablespoon of oil over medium to med-high heat, stirring occasionally, until caramelized to golden brown. For a touch more depth, you can first lightly slather the chicken with some concentrated tomato paste along with a light dusting of flour. You can also brown the onions and carrots.
  4. Note, if the meat is left in the broth while cooling, it reabsorbs some of the broth.
  5. Refrigerate: Keeps in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
  6. Freeze: Keeps in the freezer for about 3 months. It's convenient to fill containers of various sizes. We usually fill 2, 4 and 5 cup (475,950,1200ml) containers, as well as an ice tray for adding cubes of broth to various dishes. Tip: Labeling containers with content, quantity, and date is very helpful for later.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 141kcal (7%) | Carbohydrates: 2g (1%) | Protein: 12g (24%) | Fat: 9g (14%) | Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 46mg (15%) | Sodium: 487mg (21%) | Potassium: 175mg (5%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 1g (1%) | Vitamin A: 1424IU (28%) | Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 0.1mg (6%) | Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 4mg (20%) | Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): 0.2mg (10%) | Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin): 0.2µg (3%) | Vitamin C: 3mg (4%) | Vitamin K: 5µg (5%) | Iron: 1mg (6%) | Magnesium: 16mg (4%) | Selenium: 9µg (13%) | Zinc: 1mg (7%)
Please keep in mind that nutritional info is an estimate and varies according to ingredients used.