Chicken Stock

I use the back, wing tips, neck and giblets, (except the liver because the cat gets that)

2 or 3 whole yellow onions

2 or 3 stalks of celery

1 carrot

parsley, about a quarter to a third bunch, stems tied up with string

about 1⁄2 teaspoon dry dill weed

about 1⁄2 teaspoon mixed dry herbs

salt

water to cover

In a large saucepan or small stock pot, sauté in a little oil, the onion, celery and carrots until limp. Add water and chicken and herbs and just bring to a boil and then immediately cover and cut the heat to a very low simmer. The slower you cook it, the clearer the broth will be.

Cook about 1 hour. Let cool, taste for salt, then gently pour into another container for storage or use immediately. You can pour through a strainer or cheese cloth if you want to, but if you just tip the lid of the pan and pour, it should be clear. You can fish out the gizzard, heart and carrot for the dog, and discard the rest. After the broth is chilled the fat on top can be lifted off and thrown out.

*If a recipe calls for cooked chicken, you can use a larger pot, increase all the ingredients, add the whole chicken, simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour, (check the chicken for tenderness by pulling a leg) remove the chicken, and continue the cooking until the broth is finished.

Chicken Noodle soup–-add any noodles–-try with Japanese curly noodles --add some frozen green peas and chopped green onions. Of course, some bite-sized cooked chicken should go in too.

-Kate

Note: You can use leftovers in this type of soup. Spaghetti, leftover pot roast, chicken, and almost any vegetables.