Basic Chicken Broth

A lot of recipes start with  chicken broth. Instead of the expense of buying cans of prepared broth, it is easy enough to make your own. When I cut up a whole chicken, I always save the back and wing tips, neck, etc. for making broth. Chicken Broth 1-2 pounds of chicken parts (No chicken parts, you can use 3-4 skin-on chicken thighs) Vegetable oil 2 peeled and roughly chopped carrots 3 stocks of celery, roughly chopped 1 large onion, peeled and diced 8 peeled cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped 8 peppercorns 2 bay leaves 3 teaspoons of salt Brown the chicken in the bottom of a large cooking pot until browned on all sides. This adds depth to the flavor of your soup. Add the vegetables and cook a few minutes to soften a bit. Add the rest of the ingredients and water to fill the pot 3/4th full. Bring to a simmer, cover, and maintain it at this temperature for about two hours. You want a strong simmer not a constant boil. If the water simmers down too much, add water. Cool the soup down a bit, drain the vegetables and strain the broth. If you used the chicken thighs, shred the meat from the bones and put aside. You now have the basis for soups and other recipes that call for broth. If you aren't in need of the broth within a day or two, freeze it in containers. I like to freeze my broth in two cup containers so I can defrost what I need without using the entire amount. Some people like to freeze it in ice cube trays and then bag the cubes for use as needed. You can either use the meat from the chicken thighs for soup, chicken salad sandwiches, or freeze for soup another day.