May 14th, 2009
Chicken Bones
Mmmmm chicken bones
I am well aware that I am not the first person to think of roasting chicken breast. You salt, pepper & olive oil it, throw in a few cloves of garlic (it really does up the flavor quotient), and put the whole mess in a hot, hot oven (say 400 degrees at least) for a good 40 minutes.
But did you know how lovely other things taste when you roast them near chicken? It’s those chicken bones. They reveal such surprises when you roast them & they share their bounty with whatever is nearby. So don’t be afraid to chop up whatever you like and roast it alongside the chicken. Potatoes (skin intact, please), carrot chunks, turnips peeled & diced (divine), you name it. You can also make a dressing, like apricot sauce or honey mustard to name a couple, and slather it all over everything. Just don’t forget an acid (like mustard or vinegar) and the oil. Massage it into the chicken and roast it all, with the chicken skin side up. That way, the fat drips off and coats everything.
And then, after the bones have been picked clean by your children/guests/husband/wife/friend, gather them from everyone’s plates and stash them away (refrig or freezer). Even just one bone from one half a split chicken breast can make quarts upon quarts of gorgeous chicken stock. Just boil them away with some more salt & pepper, maybe throw in an onion, & delight.
I can usually find skin on bone in split chicken breasts for around about $1.50 a pound on sale. When I do, I buy and freeze. You can even roast it nearly frozen, just allow it more time in the oven and make sure the meat is opaque and the juices run clear before you pronounce it cooked through. And save those bones!
Warmly,
Nicole
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Posted By : Nicole
Posted on August 15th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
When you’re making the chicken (beef, turkey, whatever) stock from bones (and don’t forget to add any cartilage!), add something acidic like vinegar or wine and that will help leach minerals from the bones, making the broth that much more nutritious. I make my broths in my crockpot on the low setting and let it go for hours and hours. The best broth ends up gelatinous and that is a very healthful addition to diet.
Once the broth is made, you can freeze it in smaller portions in ice cube trays or other small freezer safe containers. Once frozen, pop them out, toss them in a freezer safe bag (with the date on it) and use them whenever they will add flavor to a veggie dish or reduction sauce (a very tasty alternative to gravy) or whatever. Frozen broth will last a LONG time.
Book suggestion for making healthful stocks (and lots of other especially healthful foods, much of it fine for GF diets): Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.
Posted on March 7th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
A pressure cooker is a WONDROUS thing! Every year, I make turducken for T-Day, and (on request0 X-Mas. The thing with turducken is the birds must have the rib cages removed. You better BELIEVE I save those carcasses! I recently made chicken soup when the whole family was coming close to dropping from colds. I had turducken carcass in the deep-freeze from T-Day, ‘09. I dropped one in the pressure pot, covered it with water, locked down the lid and set flame to high. When the pressure/heat built up enough to get the valve a-spitting, I reduced to low and let it cook for four hours. The extra heat kick of the cooker had those bones, even the big turkey femurs, soft enough to crush with my hands! And let me tell you: that mixed bird broth is unforgettable! With my wife’s the herbal concoctions added into the final soup, my family was well within 48 hours!