The gold of the chicken

Are you getting the most out of your chicken? Are you using your meat bird to its full potential? Our grandparents and great grandparents cooked very differently than we do today. They cooked the bird whole. Is there any benefit to cooking chicken this way? Our modern recipes call for boneless, skinless chicken parts. It’s quick. It’s easy. In fact most people are happy not to have to deal with the mess of the bones and skin.

What is the gold of the chicken? For me, it is the nutritious gelatin broth. You don’t get a nutritious broth without the skin, cartilage, meat, bone and marrow. A good bone broth done right is the best source of calcium and is very rich in minerals like magnesium, sodium, chloride, iodine, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur. The Magnesium and trace minerals like iodine enhance enzymatic activity building strong and healthy bones. The magnesium itself is built right into your bones and adds to their strength.

Gelatin rich broth accompanied with a meal aids in complete and efficient digestion of proteins and starches. It is a real whole electrolyte product. Gelatin is very effective in the treatment of many digestive disorders like hyperacidity, colitis and Crohn’s disease. Chicken soup has been proven to feed, fix and relax the mucous lining of the small intestine which is part of the nervous system. Of course, I’m talking about chicken soup made from the whole bird not the chicken soup you buy in a box. It is little wonder it works so well when we’re down and out with a cold or flu. It is truly a comfort food.

“Good broth resurrects the dead.” — A South American Proverb

A good broth takes time. I don’t always have the time to make stock from every bird. So here’s a cheat version. I make chicken in my instapot quite often to which I add one cup water. I often cook it plain however you may add spices if you so desire. When it is cooked I remove the bird, and pour the liquid through a colander to remove any small pieces. I place the bowl of liquid in the refrigerator to cool completely. Once that happens you will find a thin hard layer of fat (sometimes soft) on top which contains impurities. Remove that layer and you will find 3-4 cups of beautiful gelatin broth underneath. I put the broth into freezer bags and use the next time I’m making soup or I have a recipe calling for vegetable broth or chicken broth. I never have to buy these products.

This is gelatin using my cheat method. Isn’t it beautiful?

Now if I had cooked the bird in the oven and there wasn’t much juice drawn out, after I removed the meat for our supper I might choose to put all the skin and bones etc. in a slow cooker to cook out as much good stuff as I can. Only add as much water as you need to cover the bones. Also don’t be afraid to save broth you’ve added spice to. I’ve always used it anyway and my family loves my soup.

Here’s the full version of stock making as taken directly out of my Nourishing Traditions cookbook written by Sally Fallon:

Please note your broth will be a lot more runny this way as you are adding a lot more water to cover the bones and extract as much essential nutrients as possible. I use my slow cooker for this and I skip the step of letting it sit for a half hour or so. If you plan to utilize the meat attached do not cook it too long as it will get tough and stringy. Also I prefer to cook my bone broth plain with only water and vinegar as I do it as long as possible and the vegetables give off a very sweet flavor I’m not fond of when cooked that long. It does smell amazing though!

Chicken Stock

1 whole free-range chicken or 2 to 3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones and wings

Gizzards (or stomach) from one chicken (optional - apparently this is the healthiest part of the chicken, one day I’m going to try it)

feet from the chicken (optional)

4 quarts cold filtered water

2 Tablespoons vinegar

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped

1 bunch parsley

If you are using a whole chicken, cut off the wings and remove the neck, fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity. By all means, use chicken feet if you can find them - they are full of gelatin. Farm raised, free range chickens give the best results. Many battery-raised chickens will not produce stock that gels.

Cut chicken parts into several pieces. (If you are using a whole chicken, remove the neck and wings and cut them into several pieces.) Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 24 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.

Remove whole chicken or pieces with a slotted spoon. If you are using a whole chicken, let cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass reserve for other uses. Strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.