The days are getting cooler which means more soups on the menu! Bone broth is a simple way to boost immunity and add nutrients to your diet. You can also add ingredients that further support the immune system according to your individual needs, like ginger and shiitake mushrooms.
Depending on the bones used you will get a different result but always try and use bones from organically or pasture raised animals. While a beef bone broth strengthens our constitutional health and is very anchoring, chicken stock stimulates our immune response and is more warming. Fish bone stock is often forgotten but is fantastic as both cooking stock and health tonic.
Ingredients:
· Vegetables: I often use about 2 carrots, chopped medium, 2 celery stalks, chopped medium, one onion righly chopped
· 3.5 lbs bones, or a roast chicken carcass (what I often use)
· salt (you can add it to the stock or later when using it for sauces or soups, up to you), a few peppercorns, fresh parsley (I like ot add it at the end, towards the last 10 minutes of cooking)
· 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, or a splash of white wine, depending on the flavour you are after
· water to cover the bones and some (about 2 to 3 cm submerged)
Instructions:
1. I using raw bones (e.g. beef broth), roast the bones on a baking sheet in the oven at 180 C for 20-30 minutes. If you are using leftover roast chicken then no need to roast the bones obviously
2. Put a splash of olive oil with some salt in a large cooking pot, add the chopped leek, carrots and celery (no need to peel, and vegetable scraps are good too) get them going, not too hot.
3. When the bones have browned a bit (they will also give off some fat that you don’t need to use), toss them into the stock pot, cover with water and bring to a simmer. Stock must not be allowed to reach a rolling boil, which would turn stock bitter. Stock should have a slow-rising bubble every few seconds, no more. Use the stovetop’s lowest setting.
4. Add apple cider vinegar or wine. At this point you can also add dried mushrooms or even seaweed if you wish.
5. Cook on steady low heat for 6 to 12 hours (you can go as long as two days although that may result in higher histamine levels, for those of you with auto immune issues or allergies). Add fresh parsley for the last 10 minutes or so.
6. Strain the broth and cool in the fridge overnight. A good broth will usually have a layer of fat on the top and will gelatinize when thoroughly cool. Remove the fat with a spoon and discard.
7. Scoop some into a saucepan to melt before drinking. Some like it straight, some opened up with some warm water. Salt to taste if desired (unless you suffer from specific renal hypertension that is sensitive to salt intake). It is also a great base for winter soups and sauces.
8. Freeze what you won´t use within a couple of days and thaw as needed. Voilà!