Remember my picky non-eater?
In case you are wondering, no, he did not change for the better. He just remained himself. Picky. Fussy. Non-eater. As far as he is concerned, he is a vegetarian because he does not take egg, chicken or any fish. Little does he know I am always sneaking something in his food. It is either eggs in his fried rice/noodles, or chicken stock in his gravies, pasta, and soup.
My most favourite sneak-in is the chicken stock. Also known as the bone broth. Broth (or technically, stock) is a mineral rich infusion made by boiling bones of healthy animals with vegetables, herbs and spices. Adding some apple cider vinegar (ACV) ensures that minerals will be pulled out of the bones and into the stock.
Chicken stock is generally good for bone and tooth health, as well as being health-boosting. Sure chicken stock is now easily available at supermarkets, however like anything processed and sold over the counter, it is never 100% free of preservatives. And once you see how simple it is to make at home, it just does not make sense to spend on buying it. And it is almost effortless too.
I get the carcass from the fresh market and I usually use slow cooker to cook it over low settings for up to 18 hours. I usually do 3 carcass with 3 litres of water and some ACV. You can do up to 36 hours for the best, thick and flavourful broth. For extra flavour and aroma I usually put in some celery, carrot, bay leaves, star aniseed and cinnamon stick. However there are times when I just want milder tasting so I skip the spices.
That's it, just leave it in the slow cooker and forget about it for those hours, go to sleep, go about your chores... except you cannot completely forget about it because by then your kitchen will be full of the stock aroma. And it just gets stronger and stronger as it cooks.
After 18 hours I would turn the off the power and let it cool down to room temperature before I pack in to separate containers to be frozen. I simply take it out whenever needed. You don't need to thaw it much because as it is being used in cooking, it does naturally melt on its own as you simmer it in soup/stew/gravies.
Chicken stock makes a great base for dishes with gravy. Gravies are a must in our household as Jeev loves rice and gravy, so we get chicken stock gravy for him. Sometimes I even cook the rice in chicken stock, what better way to sneak it in for everyone at home?
You can find further information on the goodnes of bone broth at the Wellness Mama site, and tell me if you are not convinced already!
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