Chicken & bone broth

In cooking, especially for baby, using fresh chicken broth is the best. Chicken broth is used in so many recipes both for my baby and family that I usually make a big pot of it when I can and freeze it. A trick I learned once was to freeze some in an ice cube tray so that when you want to use a small portion like in cooking your veggies, it’s easy just to pop a few out. This is the video to my mama’s recipe and it is the secret ingredient to many of our dishes.

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs whole chicken and bones*
5 slices ginger
2 bunches of scallions (about 10 scallions; white and light green parts only)
4 qts. water
Optional: 1/2 c. rice wine* 
Optional: salt to taste*

Remove the chicken giblets.

Wash the chicken.

Place the chicken in a pot of boiling water.

Once it boils again, discard the water to remove the impurities and rinse the chicken.

Fill up the pot with new water and cook on high heat.

Add the ginger, scallions, and rice wine (optional). 

Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cover the pot with a lid.

Skim the impurities and oil on top throughout the process.

Cook overnight or for 6-8 hours at least.

Add salt (optional) to taste.

NOTES

Best types of chicken to use for stock:

Any whole fresh chicken will work fine, but if possible I recommend using guinea fowl or brown hen.

Adding rice wine:

When I started making babyfood, pediatricians that I consulted with said that it was safe because the amount I added in was so small and I was cooking it for so long. Adding wine enhances the flavor, but it’s absolutely optional to include into the recipe. Consult your pediatrician for more information.

Adding salt:

Pediatricians recommend not to add any salt to baby’s diet until after 1 year.