Fuck it. I’m gonna teach every one of you how to make a kickass bone broth, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Buckle up losers it’s time to cook.
Step One: do you cook at home? Save the scraps. Even if you don’t cook, you’d be surprised by what counts. The ends of carrots. Onion skins. Garlic peels. The gross parts of celery. Animal bones (chicken wings and thighs, usually). Every time you cook, you’re going to put the scraps into a gallon freezer bag.
Step One B: if you don’t cook, you can buy all of these things. I’d recommend half a stalk of celery, some carrots, and two yellow onions to start with. Don’t bother making it look pretty, include all the skins and gross bits. We’re making stock, not soup.
Step Two: when the bag is full, buy a rotisserie chicken. This part may be superfluous if you’ve saved up enough bones, but bones are your flavor so it never hurts to have more if you’re unsure.
Step Three: peel the chicken. Separate the meat from the bones and set it aside. You can do whatever you want with this meat, but I recommend saving it for the soup you’re gonna make with this kickass stock.
Step Four: add the contents of the scrap bag to the largest pot you own. Add the bones. Add water until everything is just covered or until the pot is completely full. If you want to add whole spices like peppercorns and bay leaves, nows a good time, but it’s not required.
Step Five: put that shit on the stove on low heat. Leave it there until around half the water has evaporated. This will probably take a couple of hours, at least three or four. No need to stir.
Step Six: using a collider (pasta strainer), separate the solids from the liquids. That’s it. Enjoy your delicious and flavorful and nutrient-dense stock, idiot.
Obviously you can use that stock to make soup, but you could also use it to cook vegetables, pasta, or rice. Or you could drink it plain. You could freeze it in an ice cube tray and use it as dog treats.
If you choose to save it in the fridge, you’ll probably notice that it doesn’t stay as a liquid, instead having the texture and consistency of a soft jello or pudding. Don’t panic! It’s just the collagen from the bones aka gelatin. This means you did everything right and let it sit on the stove long enough. Your bone broth is filled with lots of nutrients!
