Chicken Bone Broth

A South American proverb states that, “a good bone broth would resurrect the dead” and we have always heard of chicken soup being “the cure all for many ills”. Broth is one of the simplest, in-expensive items that are the backbone to any traditional kitchen. If you want to start somewhere, start here.
What is Bone Broth? it is a mineral rich liquid obtained by simmering animal bones with veggies in water over a period of time.
Why use it? Bone broth’s are a traditional culinary ingredient used as a base for many meals however, they are also incredibly valuable for their healing and nutrient properties. They are rich in minerals and gelatine which supports bone and joint health. They are also known to enhance immunity and to heal and seal the gut. Read more about the importance of bone broth here.
Uses: gravy (recipe), soups, stews, bolognaise (recipe).
Equip yourself with some chicken carcasses, necks, heads, feet and/or wings and a large stainless steel crockpot and before long this simple task will easily become a weekly ritual that provides you with a nourishing base to many a meal.


- 2-3 organic chicken carcasses
- 4-6 chicken feet
- 2 brown onions halved
- 2 large carrots roughly chopped
- 3 stalks of celery roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- a few springs of thyme
- 6-8 peppercorns
- 1-2Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
- Approx 3L filtered water
- Place all the ingredients into a pot and add water until just covering everything (allow to sit for 30 minutes)
- Place lid on and bring to boiling point and then turn right down to low heat and gently simmer.
- Leave lid on and simmer gently for about 24hrs. You can remove lid for last few hours to allow broth to reduce a little.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for an hour or so.
- Strain and store in glass jars in fridge/freezer (If storing in glass in freezer just don’t fill all the way and they glass won’t crack)
- You can use a whole chook to make broth. Simply simmer until chook is cooked through. Remove from pan and pull flesh from chicken, reserving bones, wings and carcass. Keep chicken meat in fridge for other uses and return carcass to pot and continue to simmer for the 24 hours.
- Some people like to briefly roast their chicken or chicken carcasses before using to make stock. This is said to add depth in colour and flavour to you stock.
- Your bone broth should set like a jelly in the fridge. Some set very firm and others are more blobby. If you like a more concentrated and gelatinous broth then you can reduce it further once you have strained the broth off by returning to the heat and simmering with lid off for another 30mins.
- The more sinewy bits of the animal you use (like feet, wings and necks) the more gelatinous your broth will be.
- This was a great tip given to me by my food mentor Ni. It can be difficult getting hold of Organic Chicken frames, legs, or necks to keep a continuous supply of chicken broth on hand. If you can get hold of bulk organic chicken wings these are a great economical cut that can make a beautiful gelatinous broth with the added benefit of using the wings for several meals as well.When making a stock with wings, gently cook the wings until the meat is cooked through, but still holding onto the bone ok. Remove the wings from the pot. Separate each wing at both its joints. Keep the two meaty parts of the wings and set aside. Return the tips of the wings back to the pot and gently simmer for 12 to 24 hours. You will get yourself a lovely gelatinous chicken broth. With the remaining parts of the wings, coat them in Tamari mixed with honey, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake in oven until caramelised!