how do i make chicken soup from a chicken??

[woopsadaisy]

sounds like a stupid question, but i was wondering how to make a (yummy) chicken soup with the leftovers from a roast chicken????

[MerryMarigold]

put any veg you have in the fridge chopped in a pan with water

carrot, swede, beans etc. is good in winter, but anything works

Boil the whole carcass bones and all

season to taste, putting some fresh herbs in is nice if you have but not necessary

take out carcass and fish around for bones

you can blend it into a thick soup or have it as a chunky soup or mash it with a masher into a finer, chunky soup.

[Nbg]

Throw in a big pot
boil in 4L of water
scrape of any scum until the water is clear
add 2 stock cubes
2 large carrots cut in half
1 swede cut in 4
1 onion

simmer for 2 hours.

I have replced swede with 2 leeks and it was just as good.
And you can add noodles to it when your serving.

[MerryMarigold]

or if you want a rich version, just boil carcass (at least an hour, I'd say, just simmering it) with mushrooms.

Take out bones etc. as above.

Add black pepper and cream, heat up but do not boil.

[MintyDixCharrington]

take off all the left over skin and fatty bits (nose etc)
bung in a pot with a couple of onions, quartered; a couple of carrots, snapped in half; a couple of celery sticks, ditto; few mushrooms if you have them; parsnip if you have it. Add water until just about covering the bird. Add some salt, pepper, herbs (I use oregano and bay). Put it on hob, bring to the boil, let bubble for a few minutes, then take off, bung a lid on and either stick in a medium to low oven for a couple of hours, or turn the heat right down and let it simmer on the stovetop for a few hours.

When it is done, strain the stock (for that is what you've made) into another saucepan, dig out the veg and chuck them in the stock, whizz it up with a hand held braun blender thingie, then add in any bits of leftover chicken. You can also add either some vermicelli or barley or sweetcorn or something at this point, and I usually squeeze in a lemon as well. Bring back up to the boil to cook the vermicelli etc and there you go.

Yum

[MerryMarigold]

oh, i often put lentils in as well and a couple of cloves - in the vegetable soup

[SixtyNiner]

nbg - surely the chicken will create the stock flavour.

These all sound very nice.

[woopsadaisy]

is it o.k to put in legs etc if there is still a lot of meat on, or do i have to pick all the meat off???

[MintyDixCharrington]

ewwwww, don't use stock cubes! you are making stock!

bearing in mind there is no point even attempting this with a battery bird - needs to be organic or freerange at the very least

[SixtyNiner]

the meat will add to the flavour - Yum

[MintyDixCharrington]

well I'd probably pick the meat off first, otherwise you might over poach it and it might go a bit tough

but if you can't be arsed, chuck it all in and sort out the meat after you've made the stock

[woopsadaisy]

i use organic, but they are expensive so i was trying to make it more cost effective by making another meal out of it

can i freeze the soup and how long will itstore for???

[MerryMarigold]

Yes, I just put the whole lot in. As long as you don't boil vigorously it seems nice and the meat falls off the bones eventually so you just pull out the carcass.

[MintyDixCharrington]

Yes I can't through a good carcass away without making it into stock at least

freezes beautifully. keeps for AGES (probably meant to say 3 months or something but if you have a good freezer I'd be happy eating it a year later)

[Nbg]

It depends if your using raw or cooked chicken. If its cooed you'll get less flavour than from raw, but even if it is raw you still need stock IMO.

[MerryMarigold]

I've done it with battery birds and it's still nice

[MintyDixCharrington]

um THROW

[Nbg]

Ok MintyDix, are you PPH or Enid?

[MintyDixCharrington]

but what do you think stock IS? confused

battery birds are the work of the devil and there isn't an ounce of flavour in their poor over grown bones

if it tastes nice that is because of the vegetables!

[MintyDixCharrington]

aha! you have to guess!

[Nbg]

Enid

can tell with your upfrontedness (is that a word?)


No throw the stock in ffs. You salt hating weirdos.

[MintyDixCharrington]

WRONG!

I'm sure Enid and I are As One on the need for stock cubes when making stock though

[Nbg]

moondog????

[MintyDixCharrington]

MOONDOG?????


"Are you PPH or Enid"
"Guess"
"Enid"
"No"
"OK, Moondog then"

WTF?

[Nbg]

lol

so PPH

lol

[MintyDixCharrington]