Basic Chicken Broth

Basic chicken broth.

Basic Chicken Broth

Homemade chicken broth is the base for extraordinary chicken soups of all types, and it’s a thrifty way to extract all the flavor and goodness from ingredients that might otherwise be discarded. Start with a meaty chicken carcass with skin, reserved after roasting or poaching a whole chicken and removing the breast meat, plus chicken backs and necks. Cook the bones and pieces with aromatic vegetables for several hours. The house will smell delightful. 

Makes 10 cups broth

• 3 pounds meaty chicken carcass with skin, plus additional neck and back pieces
• 2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 1 parsnip, coarsely chopped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 10 black peppercorns
• 4 drops Angostura bitters
• 12 cups cold water

In a large soup pot, combine all ingredients. If water doesn’t cover chicken and vegetables, add a little more. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 1 hour. Skim and discard any foam that rises to the top of the pot.

Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 4 hours, adding more water if needed. (If a stronger broth is desired, cook until liquid reduces.) Remove from heat and let stand 20 minutes. 

Strain liquid through a fine sieve to remove all solids. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for a couple of hours or up to two days. Remove congealed fat from the surface of the broth and use in recipes as desired.