This hearty chicken broth recipe is perfect for a hangover or a cold. Mop it up with some crusty bread.
Ingredients
- 1 large (about 2.5kg) good-quality chicken, without giblets
- 10 peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 leeks or onions, roughly chopped
- 4 thin carrots, halved lengthways
- 3 celery sticks, halved
- Small bunch of fresh thyme
- Small bunch of fresh parsley
- 2 tsp celery salt
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Method
- 1. Wash the chicken well and place in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole with the peppercorns, bay leaves, leeks or onions, carrots and celery. Tie up the herbs with string and add to the pan with the celery salt. Pour over 4 litres water to cover the chicken and place on the hob. Cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked through. Leave in the broth until cool enough to handle.
- 2. Remove the chicken from the broth and place on a board to cool completely. Remove the cooled meat from the chicken carcass and slice or shred.
- 3. To freeze, divide the meat between 3, 2-litre containers.
- For the spiced chicken broth: Strain the broth into a measuring jug to give 1 litre. Pour over the chicken meat in 1 freezer container, adding a few carrots and leeks from the pot. Cover, label and freeze.
- For the chicken, chive and mustard gratin: strain the broth into a measuring jug to give 600ml. Pour over the chicken meat in another freezer container. Cover, label and freeze.
- For the herby chicken and lemon rice: strain the broth into a measuring jug to give 1 litre. Pour over the chicken meat in the last freezer container. Cover, label and freeze.
- 4. To defrost the chicken and broth: remove the container from the freezer and defrost at room temperature (it will take about 6-8 hours).
Chef's tip
You’ll need the biggest pot you can find to submerge the chicken.