Chicken broth is a classic staple for soups, stews, and sauces. It has so many uses that it is sold pre-made and packaged in supermarkets. However, nothing tastes like homemade chicken broth.
Dried marjoram, which is often included in chicken stock.
A basic chicken stock starts with a large pot. A skillet is fine, but the dutch oven that comes with the skillet will also work. Add about 3 liters of water to the pan and add about 1 kg of chicken bones and bone parts. Bring this almost to a boil. Coarsely chop 2 peeled onions, 2 celery stalks, 2 peeled carrots, 2 bay leaves, 2 thyme sprigs, and about 1 teaspoon whole black pepper. Lower the heat and cook for two hours. Skim the foam and fat from the top during cooking. The cook can stop cooking at this point or continue boiling the liquid for another 2 hours to make a demi-glace for sauces.
With homemade chicken stock, the cook can control exactly what goes into it.
When the broth is cooked, the cook passes the entire saucepan through a sieve or strainer, preferably made of cotton cloth, to another saucepan. The stock is ready to use. When cool, it can also be poured into ice trays and frozen in cubes until needed. Once the cubes are frozen, they can be placed in date-labeled freezer bags to save space.
Chicken broth should be drained of fat, vegetables, and bones before use.
A Chinese-like flavor can be added to chicken broth with the addition of pieces of ginger and garlic. Add a bit of Italy with a few teaspoons of marjoram and oregano. Adding sofrito will give the chicken broth a Latin flavor. Cumin or curry powder will give chicken stock a nice flavor for Indian food, and lemongrass leaves and kefir will add a Thai flavor to the mix. It all depends on the preferences of the cook and what the chicken broth is served.
When the broth has finished cooking, strain it through a sieve to remove the fat and bones.
A great advantage of homemade chicken broth is that the cook knows exactly what is in it. There are no artificial preservatives, flavors, or other unwanted ingredients. The cook can also fine-tune the seasonings so that the chicken broth is tailored to your individual preferences. Making chicken stock does not require much effort and all cooks would be well prepared to learn the technique.