Making Broth?

How do I make broth out of a chicken carcass? Should I leave some meat on it or pick it dry? I am going to make a chicken tortilla soup, and thought I would use the carcass instead of canned broth.

Boil it up with water once, then toss that water (it'll be greasy). Then with fresh cold water, boil it up again (with or without meat is fine). I also add a bunch of cut up veggies: 50% onion, 25% carrots, and 25% celery (AKA: mirepoix). A little thyme, parsley, a bay leaf... Don't add salt, because it'll can end up way to salty after you cook it for several hours. (You can salt to taste when you use it in a recipe.) 3 hours is good for a soup, 6 hours is good for a really strongly flavored chicken stock. I skim the top every once in a while as it's cooking.

You can then go straight on to making soup, or to make stock for use in sauces, soups, or other recipes....

Strain all the veggies and herbs. Refridgerate, and then skim off the coagulated fat.

Hope that helps!

I am using the broth to make this tortilla soup, which already requires a lot of seasoning. I have made it in the past with the canned broth and thought I would try it from scratch. Would I still add all the spices and vegetables? I only learned to cook last summer out of sheer boredom, so if it is not exactly like the recipe I tend to freak out. Those instructions are very helpful. It also gives me an idea of what time I need to start. Thanks.

Yep, use them -- they'll add a little flavor, so it's not really bland. I've made tortilla soup out of this stock before. For a large stock pot, I use a handful of onions, and 1/2 a handful of celery and carrots.

(I'm actually a culinary school dropout! -- it was something fun to do post-BA, pre-marriage. Once I was planning our wedding though, I didn't want to spend my evenings at school for something I know I didn't want to be a career.)

At least it wasn't a wasted education. Thank you for the advice. I will give it a try tomorrow. I think I am out of carrots, but I do have celery and onions. The last time that I made it, I burned the garlic so that was all that you could taste. Try, try again.

I save all my carcasses, vegetable peels, celery leaves to make the broth when I make soup. Just stick them in a bag in the freezer. Also, save water used to cooked vegetables and freeze for vegetable stock. Cori's suggestion is what I do. Then strain and make soup. Pick any meat off bones and throw back in towards the end but discard the other stuff used for the broth.

oh boy way way to complex for me.. i love cooking and baking but i just use the simple way. that is just for me tho.. making it from scratch is great!

wow, cori, i would love to go to cooking school, even for only a few courses. how fun.

michelle - what she said lol

i make my stock in a crockpot overnight with a picked, pre-boiled carcass, and i use it for tortilla soup. have you seen the recipe on the mansion's website? it's delicious. i'm making it to have christmas day.

That's the one that I am making.

wow, cori, i would love to go to cooking school, even for only a few courses. how fun.

michelle - what she said lol

i make my stock in a crockpot overnight with a picked, pre-boiled carcass, and i use it for tortilla soup. have you seen the recipe on the mansion's website? it's delicious. i'm making it to have christmas day.

what is that website? i've never used it.

www.mansiononturtlecreek.com - click on the cuisine link and it'll take you to a pull-down menu with tons of wonderful recipes.

thanks!