Turmeric and Ginger Bone Broth
(Aka the Cold & Flu fixer)
At the first sign of anyone catching a cold in my household, this is the first thing that I make. It’s not the quickest of remedies to make but it probably is the most soothing and one that is happily taken by the whole family. This recipe should also make enough for you to have plenty left over to be consumed over the next couple of days. It’s also a great way to use up a leftover chicken carcass, although you will still probably need top that up with additional chicken pieces.
Ingredients:
· 1-1.5kg of raw chicken on the bone (go for pieces with a lot of connective tissue. I tend to use a mixture of thighs and wings although if you can get your hand on some chicken feet, include these too)
· 2-inch piece of fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced
· 6 Garlic cloves, peeled
· 2-inch piece of fresh Turmeric root, sliced (or use 2 teaspoons of dried if you can’t get hold of fresh)
· 3 large Rosemary sprigs
· 5 Bay leaves
· 2 large Carrots
· 2 sticks Celery
· 1 Onion, skin removed
· 1 Leek
· 500ml Chicken stock (I have to admit I sometimes add extra shop bone broth here if I have any in the fridge but if not, I’ll just use a good quality stock)
· ¼ cup Apple Cider vinegar
· Salt
· 1 tbs Black peppercorns
(Optional step) If I am not using a leftover carcass then I like to split the chicken up first and roast a few of the chicken thighs before adding them to the pan, as it gives the broth added depth of flavour, plus I can also remove some of the cooked chicken meat to add back to the broth at the end, to make a more substantial meal.
So, if you want to include this step, then preheat your oven to 190C (fan) and place some of the chicken thighs in a roasting dish. Season and rub with olive oil. Roast for around 40 – 45 minutes or until the juices run clear. Once cooked and cool enough to handle, remove and shred the chicken meat and set aside (or refrigerate if not planning to use). The remaining bones, skin and juices can then be added to the pan (which should be simmering away by this point.)
1. Place the raw chicken (or remaining chicken if following the above optional step) into a large pan, big enough to hold 2 litres of water.
2. Roughly chop the veg (wash them but there’s no need to peel) and add them the pan.
3. Add the ginger, turmeric and garlic. I keep the garlic cloves whole but crush them slightly with the side of a knife.
4. Add the rosemary sprigs, bay leaves, black peppercorns and a large pinch of salt.
5. Add the chicken stock, apple cider vinegar and enough cold water (around 1.5 litres) to cover all the ingredients and bring to the boil. Once at a rolling boil, reduce the heat and gently simmer for at least 4 hours (but up to 12). If the heat is too high, your bone broth will become cloudy (although it is still perfectly edible like this!)
6. After 1-2 hours, remove what meat you can to prevent it getting too mushy (I feed mine to the dog!)
7. Keep checking on it and skimming the fat off the top when it starts to form. If you are going for a long simmer or wish to have a larger volume to use a soup base, you may need to top up the water but aim to reduce the volume to at least ½ of the original amount.
8. Once it is ready, season (if needed) and then strain through a mesh sieve or muslin into another saucepan (if using straight away) or clean glass jars to store in the fridge.
Now your bone broth is ready you can either drink it as it is or use it as a base for a more substantial soup. I will often add a couple of tablespoons to other dishes whilst cooking.
Notes
To make a chicken soup, I like to add thinly sliced pieces of carrot and celery orleeks plus some of the reserved roast chicken from step 1 along with some matzo balls and cooked pearl barley.
You could also try vermicelli/rice noodles, beansprouts, fresh chilli and coriander along with the roast chicken.
Any leftover broth will last up to 3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.