Chicken Broth & Stock

I want to stress at the outset that it is not hard to make chicken broth or chicken stock. All it requires is a stretch of time in which you will actually be doing very little real cooking.

I'm putting this little how-to in here right now because I have a pot of broth making on the stove right now, with the intention of making a Moravian chicken pie later. We ate one in Old Salem, NC, last fall, and it was delicious, and I've been meaning to try it, so I figured now was a good time. In order to make Moravian chicken pie, though, you have to have chicken broth and I didn't have any... but I did have a chicken. As good a place to start as any, right?

If you want to buy chicken broth from the store, you can; the chicken pie would probably be just as good. By the same token, if you want to buy pre-made pastry crusts for the cobbler or the empanadas, you can do that, too. Just because I take the hard road doesn't mean you have to.

That being said, here's how to make chicken broth.

Start with a chicken - a whole one. Check the packaging to see if the giblets are included. If they are, they'll be in a plastic bag that you can just pull out of the chicken's body cavity. (Yes, you're pulling a bag out of the chicken's butt. Yes, it's gross.) Rinse the chicken thoroughly (inside AND out) and check for any stray feathers. Folks, I know people who work at Tyson. Check for feathers.

You're going to need a big, deep pot for this one. Put your chicken in the pot and cover it with water. Ad any cut vegetables you want to add - carrots, celery, bit of onion, what have you. Also add salt - probably a good bit of salt. I didn't measure; I just poured. Use your best judgment. Once you have everything in there, put it on the stove and get it up to a good, solid boil, then cut the heat back down to low and cover it. Now let it simmer for about three hours.

During the first few minutes, you can use a large spoon to skim the gunk off the top of the boil. This is just congealed protein and bits of skin; you won't need it.

After you're done cooking, run the broth through a fine strainer or collander into a bowl. Save the chicken - debone it carefully and put it aside, especially if you're going to make chicken pie with me - discard the vegetables and strained-out stuff, and put the broth in the fridge or to the side if you're cooking with me later.

For chicken stock, use 12 to 15 pounds of chicken bones rather than the whole chicken, and increase the cooking time to six hours.

I'll be back later tonight (or possibly tomorrow) with the recipe for the chicken pie.