Bubba's Chicken Broth

I know there is a rage out there for 'bone broth' lately. I thought I would share my bubba's recipe for old fashioned Jewish chicken broth. She used it to make her chicken soup with matzo balls. I watched her make it many times and since she never wrote a recipe I made my own notes:

2 - 3 lb whole roasting chicken

2 medium onions, halved through the stem end - remove the hairy roots but leave skin on

4 sticks of celery, cut in half

4 large carrot, - remove top and bottoms peel and cut in half

2 large whole parsnips, peeled

1 handful of parsley stalks and some with leaves

10 peppercorns

1 bay leaf

2 to 3 tsps kosher salt

Put the chickens in the largest lidded pot you own (about 5 quarts).

Add the rest of the ingredients and enough cold water to just cover them by about an inch or two. Bring to a boil over a high heat. Skim off any foam and discard.

As soon as the water boils, turn the heat down to a very low simmer. Partially cover the pan and leave to cook gently for 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is falling off the bones. Do not let it boil. During the last 1/2 hour add 1 to 2 tsp kosher salt.

Remove the chicken and vegetables from the pot. Pour the broth through a sieve into a large bowl. Discard the bay leaf, parsley, onions and peppercorns. Leave the the chicken on platter to cool then remove the meat. Keep the bones. Store the chicken meat in the frig till later. Cut the carrots and parsnips into diagonal slices. Store in the frig till ready to serve

Pour the strained broth back into the pot. Taste and season with a little extra kosher salt if needed. Return the stripped bones and cartilage to the pot and simmer for another hour. Strain again in bowl and discard bones.

Cool the broth, cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, skim off the fat from the surface. Do not discard the fat (schmaltz) keep it in a sealed jar in the frig for roast potatoes.

If you think it needs more flavour, boil it rapidly for about 10 to 15 mins to reduce water content. Serve it heated with the warm reserved chicken and vegetables. You can add cooked noodles if you want.

NOTES: My bubba used kosher chicken but I would recommend using organic chicken and vegetables since you will simmering this for a long time. Organic keeps any "bad" stuff out of your soup.

submitted by /u/linengray
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