Use up every last scrap of that chicken

At last! I’ve finally discovered the answer to making good chicken stock, and you’re not going to like it. It’s salt. Simply cover your chicken carcass with well-salted cold water. Add an onion chopped in half along with a stick of celery and a whole carrot (if organic, no need to peel). Bring it to the boil and immediately reduce to a simmer, ccasionally spooning off the fat as it rises to the top. Simmer for as long as possible: at least two to three hours, four if possible.

This is the perfect chicken broth as the base for a wonderful chicken and vegetable soup. Remove the chicken, scraping off and reserving any excess meat.

Pour the broth into a bowl and set aside. Now chop an onion and a leek, three carrots, two sticks of celery, and a clove of garlic. Sweat the onions for two minutes with some butter, salt, and pepper over a medium heat, leaving the lid on and stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the vegetables and continue cooking for another three or four minutes.

After five minutes, add the broth and the reserved chicken meat. You may wish to add an additional chicken stock cube. Cook over a medium heat until the vegetables have softened (about 20 minutes), add a handful of parsley and thyme and perhaps some sage, and blend the ingredients together. Add a little cream or milk (optional). Serve with some brown bread or a cheese, lettuce, tomato and spring onion sandwich slathered with mayo and black pepper… drool…

I remember watching in silent horror as a friend threw out a perfectly good chicken carcass with plenty of meat on the wings and legs. A good chicken should provide three meals: a roast dinner, a few sandwiches, and a chicken soup. Those hideous Tesco Value or St. Bernard chickens are a false economy because they don’t stretch as well and the stock isn’t as tasty. You need a decent free range or organic bird.

How do you stretch that chicken? And do you have a better chicken soup recipe?

Related posts:

1. Leftover Chicken? Make Noodle Soup
2. Recipe: Lamb and barley soup
3. Simple Homemade Chicken and Veg Broth