Chicken Broth by the Rule of Three

​Darkening and chilling November days call for something hot and soothing to eat.
 
This chicken broth fits the bill and can serve as the plain basis for a variety of dishes such as chicken noodle soup and can also provide the foundation to make sauce for a chicken pot pie or for chicken enchiladas.  As it makes a generous quantity, the broth can be frozen, preferably in convenient pint containers, for use in future food prep.
 
I recommend spending two days when making this broth (not counting shopping for its ingredients)—the first day for cooking and the second day for processing, i.e., reheating and re-straining the broth and skinning and boning the chicken after their overnight stay in your refrigerator.  It’s like mixing cookie batter one day and baking it the next, thereby dividing the work.
 
The broth can be enhanced by the addition of noodles or dumplings or simple egg drop.
 
Science has proven it’s true that chicken soup can make us feel better if we catch a cold or flu.  I wish it would work as well on covid.  If we are still staying home most of the time, preparing this broth will give us something worthwhile to do for family and self.

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This recipe is based on the number three and so is very easy to remember.  Basically, it is the way my Mother, Mary Unger, made chicken broth, but this one has measurements—especially for water, which I no longer eyeball, as too much can ‘thin’ the broth.  Chicken broth today is not as rich as when I was a kid because chicken farmers no longer leave fat in the bird.  I often rendered the chicken’s fat and used the resulting schmaltz to make a rich pie crust to top a chicken pot pie.  Mom’s best trick for making chicken (or beef) broth came from her brother Franz, who was a cook in the WWI Austrian army.  This trick is contrary to every recipe I have ever read for making broth.  Franz said to bring the water to a rolling boil before adding the chicken, bring the water back up to a boil, and then lower it to a simmer.  Almost always, one reads to cover the chicken with cold water, which results in the development of an ugly protein scum, which has to be skimmed from broth.  Boiling water results in scum-free broth and flavorful chicken (or beef).

3 generous tablespoons salt
6 large allspice berries
9 large black peppercorns

​Throw these three seasonings into the bottom of a very large stockpot (a three-piece pot with a built-in strainer makes it easy to process the soup when it is finished cooking).

12 cups fresh cold water

​I fill a 4-cup measure three times and pour the water over the seasonings.

1 very large yellow onion,
   peeled and rough-chopped
2 medium parsnips,
   peeled and cut into
   1-inch lengths
3 very large (or 6 small)
   carrots, peeled and cut into
   1-inch lengths
​

​Add these three root vegetables to the pot.
 
Parsley root, if attached to a bunch of parsley, is even better.

almost a whole stalk celery,
   especially the leaves,
   cut into 2-inch lengths

​Save the celery heart for making chicken salad.

​3/4 bunch Italian flat-leaf
   parsley, stems and all

 

​Don’t even think of using curly-leaf parsley!
The parsley forms a flavorful pillow for the chicken.

​

1 whole chicken and
chicken giblets, if provided
   with the chicken
   (but not the liver, which
   would cloud the broth)
​

When everything but the chicken is in the pot, bring the water to a full rolling boil.  Lay chicken and giblets on parsley pillow.  Quickly bring water back to the boil and then lower it to a steady simmer.  Cover pot.  Simmer broth for three hours (or for a little less time).

Lift strainer with chicken and set strainer into a large bowl to drain and cool contents.  Into another very large bowl, pour broth through a fine strainer lined with a few layers of wet cheese cloth.  Cool broth completely.  Cover it with wax paper or plastic wrap that lies on top of the broth.  Refrigerate broth several hours or overnight.  Lift wax paper or plastic wrap, which pulls any fat along with it.  Skim additional fat if any is present, though leaving some fat will flavor the broth.  Reheat broth and strain it once more.
 
When chicken is cool enough to handle (I refrigerate it overnight), skin and bone chicken.  Discard veggie solids except for parsnips and carrots.  Finely chop some of the carrots and add to broth when serving it.  Parsnips can be cooked in melted butter and topped with brown sugar or maple syrup for a delicious side dish.  Chopped chicken can be added to broth.  Garnish broth with a bit of finely minced Italian flat-leaf parsley.  Use remaining chicken for salads, sandwiches, pot pies, enchiladas, casseroles, etc.

Note:  For a clear broth, do not add acidic vegetables such as tomatoes and green beans.
 
EnJOY