Chicken Broth, Remouillage, Bouillon

...and doggie's dinner!

After years of trying different broth recipes, I've found this method and combination of ingredients yields the best results. 

What you need:

2-3 pounds organic chicken (whole or pieces (bone-in, skin-on) or bones from a roasted chicken) 

1 medium onion

2 medium carrots

3 stalks celery

a small handful fresh thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

First, you need to chop the meat.

Place the chicken pieces in a crock pot (or in a large pot for the stovetop).

 

Roughly chop the veggies.  As long as it's clean, you can leave the onion skin on.

There's no need to chop the herbs.

Put all the veggies and herbs in the crock pot.

Add apple cider vinegar.

 

Fill the crock pot with water.

Cook on high until just boiling.  Depending on your crock pot or stovetop, this can take several hours.

Then turn down to simmer for at least 3 more hours or until it smells just right!.  (Sometimes, if I don't have time to strain the broth, I will leave the crockpot on warm overnight or if using the stovetop the pot, on the "warm" burner.

Strain into jars and refrigerate overnight.  If not using right away, freeze the broth.  Be sure to pour the broth into a freezer-proof container.  Mason jars may burst in the freezer.

REMOUILLAGE

Now, the reserved veggies and meat/bones can be brothed again.  Simply put them back in the crock pot with another 1/4 apple cider vinegar and fill the pot with water.  Go through the same routine:  (1) bring to a boil; then (2) simmer for a few hours.  Strain and quickly cool the same way you did the first broth.  Once again, save the strained veggies and meat!  This second broth is a remouillage which can be used for cooking rice, pasta or adding to condensed soups or for replacing the water in homemade baked beans.

DOGGIE'S DINNER

Even if you choose not to make a remouillage, the meat and veggies have lost alot of flavor in the brothing process, but can be separated from the bones and chopped finely then added to the dog's bowl!

BOUILLON

If you don't have enough room in the freezer to store the broth, make bouillon cubes!  Cook the soup down to 1/3 it's original volume.  Stir in some beef gelatin if you have it, though this isn't absolutely necessary.  Pour into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight.  Once frozen, pop out the cubes and store them in the freezer.  (I've seen information online for cooking the broth down until it becomes very thick, then drying it and storing it dried.  This is called portable soup and perhaps someday I'll try making it.)  This bouillon is good for boosting soup flavor without adding more liquid volume.  It also works well to place one or two cubes in a mug and reconstitute them with
hot water and add a pinch of salt and sage and twist of lemon to taste.  Good to sip those winter colds away!