B is for broth

I'm gone for a week, on a muse hunt and came away with feverish kids.

Go figure.

But when you have a stopover in Feverland - adjacent to Whiny Kidsville and Too Much TV town - brewing your own chicken broth, between petting heads, just makes sense.

It's soothing for sore throats and coughs; homemade broth tastes great and leaves you with chicken for another dinner, later in the week.

So, vegans: Avert your eyes. Here's my recipe for chicken stock, straight from Nourishing Traditions, the cookbook my Naturopath recommended last fall when my blood work came back all wonky.

Chicken Stock

1 whole free-range chicken (You can also use 2-3 pounds of bony chicken parts, but I'm lazy and like to knock out another dinner in the process, saving the chicken for enchiladas, or salads. And by whole chicken, I mean I throw in all those less than savory bits and pieces.)

4 quarts of cold filtered water

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

I should suggest the celery and parsley here, but I rarely add them. But you could. It's your broth, right?

You can cut up the chicken, but I'd rather not. I place everything in a big stainless steel pot, and let it sit on the counter for about an hour. I skipped this step once, and the broth was less gelatinous, so I've been faithful ever since.

(You know all those expensive supplements, for arthritis? Well, I like the fact that I can get these same nutrients in this broth; the gelatin is essential. It's also why I choose a free-range chicken; battery-raised chickens tend to produce a stock that is refuses to gel. Insolent brew.)

Bring the concoction to a boil and skim the scum. (Words to live by.)

Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 6-24 hours. I can't take cooking overnight, because I'm a Nervous Nelly, but I start this early in the morning and it works just fine for me.

I strain the stock into quart containers, freezing some and sticking the rest in the frig for soup, for cooking, for risotto. It's amazing.

I cover the chicken - I deal with it the next day - stick it in the fridge, proud of my Suzy Homemaker ways.

Now, I'm off to check on Zack, the straggler, staying home another day.

Someday soon, we'll be back on our feet.

Chicken stock shot from google search.