boiled chicken + broth {part 1}

Please excuse me for photographing and posting a photo of raw chicken. Poultry is so gross to me, so much so that I haven't prepared it for a year, until recently when I read An Everlasting Meal, a book that inspired me to get brave and start playing with the chipper chicken again. This way of preparing chicken and broth has been adapted by Tamar Adler's thoughts on food in An Everlasting Meal.

ingredients:

organic chicken in pieces {I have been getting one at TJ's that is around $12 it is 2-3 breasts and 4 legs}

1 jalapeño

1 three inch piece of ginger, cut in half

1 lemon, cut in half

1 8qt stock pot filled with water a little more then half full

Salt {I like Morton's Kosher salt... I have some special salts that I love for an avocado, a poached egg or a juicy heirloom tomato but I have found that I love this salt for everyday cooking}

directions:

I find that this works best started the night before, but you could also do it the morning of if you forget. Lay your chicken out on a roasting pan and salt both sides liberally {this really is the secret}. Cover your chicken with plastic and stick in the fridge.

The next day I usually start the broth and chicken at nap time for dinner that night, but you can also start it an hour before dinner and then just let your broth cook down for the rest of the night {during dinner, dessert and a movie}. Let it cool, store it away and then go night night.

Okay back to the chicken. Whenever you want to start the process, give yourself 4 hours, start to finish {this is not labor intensive at all, pick a day that you are home and can let the stove cook away}, put all the ingredients in your pot of water. If there are large chunks of salt that haven't been absorbed I brush those off. Turn on your burner and get your pot to a good bubbling simmer.

The chicken will take about 40 minutes to cook. Remove the chicken once it is cooked and let it cool. Remove the lemon and let the pot continue to simmer. Once the chicken is cooled {basically cool enough that you don't burn your fingers} remove the skin and bones and throw them back in the pot. This chicken is wonderful alone and makes a lot for a couple meals. Try it with some salsa and rice, or in tacos, or in a green salad... the list goes on. All three of my boys love this chicken so much. As for the broth just let it cook down for a while.

At this point the broth probably has an hour or so. When it is time to turn it off, I let it cool and then strain it with a small rice strainer into a jar. It usually make about 2 cups of broth.*

The end.

*beware: the broth is different than what we are used to buying at the store. It is very gelatinous which is where the health benefits are {I learned this from another life changing book called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon}.