How to make Bone Broth- with Chicken Feet

How to Make Bone Broth

 

Now that the Holiday's are over, I'm getting back to my normal routine.  We had such a busy holiday season that I'm not sure what my normal routine was. The last week I've spent both nursing a cold and searching for a new refrigerator.  Our current refrigerator is on it's final leg, and before it gives out completely we need to replace it.  I was in Whole Foods the other day in search of some chicken backs in order to make stock to nurse my cold and my daughters and of course they were clean out.  The butcher was ready with an alternative--chicken feet! He said that they had just gotten a big shipment in, because people had been requesting them in order to make bone broth to fight off the flu and cold that is going around.  With no other options to available to make my broth, I left the store with 2 pounds of chicken feet.   I've actually only ever seen chicken feet on live chicken's and occasionally in a silver tin when I go out with my girl friends to have dim sum.  I can't say that in either instance that they've been an appetizing sight! This instance provided no exception!  It took me a while to even convince myself that I could handle cooking them.  However, I pushed through the ick factor and managed, to make a delicious bone broth for us to consume.  Not surprisingly making stock with chicken feet provides a nutrient rich broth.  Chicken feet have a lot of bones, and when cooked slowly or under pressure you're able to extract most of the nutrients from those bones.  Also at $2.00/pound this is the most economical way to make broth that I've come across.

 

 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1.5-2 hours

 

Ingredients:

1 lb of organic chicken feet

1 cup of carrots diced

1 cup of celery diced

1 large onion diced

2 tablespoons of grape seed oil

7 cups of water

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions: Heat the oil over medium heat. Add in chicken feet and allow to brown (7-10 minutes).  Add in carrots, celery, and onion and allow to cook an additional 4 minutes.  Add in water and seal in pressure cooker for 1.5-2 hours.

If you're doing this stove stop, cook for a minimum of 2 hours on medium low heat, and add additional water as stock boils down.  After stock has cooked for 2 hours remove from heat, let cool for 10-15 minutes, then strain, removing all solids before transferring to an airtight container. This makes about 4-5 cups of stock.

How to make Bone Broth

So tell me, have you ever cooked or eaten chicken feet?  Although I've seen them while having Dim Sum with my friends, I have never tried them.  I just can't bring myself to do it--at least not so far!

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup--All the Thanksgiving recipes you need in one post!

 

 

Thanksgiving is just a week away. I've been preparing my household and making lists for the big day.  What would this blog be without a post with my most useful recipes to get you ready for the big day.  The below is a list of must haves for almost any Thanksgiving meal.

Chicken stock

No Thanksgiving meal is complete without a good chicken stock on hand.  Nothing beats a homemade stock, especially if you plan on making homemade gravy to go along with your Thanksgiving meal.  Using home made stock to make your gravy could mean the difference between good gravy, and fantastic not a drop left in the gravy bowl, gravy!  One of my favorite chicken stocks to make is the one from Modernist Cuisine.  It requires the use of one pound of ground chicken and one pound of chicken wings, so it's a bit more expensive to make, because the soul purpose of the meat used int he recipe is to extract flavor, so you can't eat it, but it's totally worth it!  You will not find a better chicken stock.  If you prefer not to splurge on the modernist version of chicken stock, try this one--I've made both and they both out perform the store bought stuff.

 Poultry Seasoning

What's better than a do-it-yourself seasoning for your bird?  Not much short of finding every single ingredient already in your cupboard--then nothing is better! This poultry seasoning tastes identical to the store bought stuff, only it has no fillers.

Potatoes

What's a Thanksgiving meal without potatoes?  In my family potatoes are as synonomous to Thanksgiving dinner, as turkey is to Thanksgiving.  They are a must have!  In the mean time, this recipe for smashed potatoes is one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes and is the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving meal.  My cauliflower mash is also fantastic!  I've had it with and without potatoes and either way the mash is devine!

Smashed Potaoes

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash

Roasted Garlic

Let's face it, roasted garlic makes everything better--especially a Thanksgiving meal--so here's how to roast garlic

How to Roast Garlic

Creamed Corn

What is it about corn that screams Thanksgiving?  I don't know but my no cream creamed corn recipe is definitely a brillant addition to any Thanksgiving meal

 

Dessert

Finally while I don't profess to be a dessert wizard, I do have a great recipe for diy condensed milk.  My grandmother would always have a couple of cans of condensed milk out for her baking, and I'm quite sure that she would approve of my do it yourself version. It can be made with dairy and nondairy milks.

 

One of my favorite desserts is Chocolate Pots de Creme  my recipe for them is AMAZING!! If you manage to save any of these for more than 3 members of your family to enjoy, then you're doing much better than me!

 

So tell me are you ready for the big day? What are you making?