One of the best food ingredients you can have in your kitchen (other than fresh produce) is a good quality chicken stock.  Making your own not only ensures a healthier bone broth but also imparts a wonderful flavour and aroma to many dishes than the shop bought cube stock.

Choosing your stock ingredients impacts the quality of your stock. When selecting chicken, or any meat, look for organic, free-range and hormone-free produce. Proteins (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian) contain essential amino acids which are crucial for our bodies. It’s worth choosing the best quality ingredients that suit your needs and lifestyle. Bone broths in particular are good sources of collagen (we need more of this as we age!), improve our gut health and supports the immune system.

A few years ago I started making my own chicken stock using leftover chicken carcass from a weekend roast or the leftover liquid from boiled chicken. There are no set rules for making stock. You can add any aromatic ingredients you like and you can cook it for as long as you want. The longer you cook it, the stronger the stock so be sure to adjust the timing according to what suits your taste. If you don’t have time to make the stock, freeze the carcass for another day. The recipe below is more of a general guideline and is easily adaptable.

CHICKEN STOCK

1 roasted organic chicken carcass with skin and any leftover juices from the pan

1 bay leaf

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

1 onion, peeled

1-2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 small piece ginger, peeled

2 litres water

Sea salt to taste

1. Place all the ingredients and whole vegetables into a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for at least one hour. 

2. Allow to cool and strain into approximately 3 x 500ml freezable containers with lids. 

3. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months (remember to date and label the containers.).