This winter I’ve finally had access to local pastured chickens and grassfed beef, including bones and, in the case pf the chickens, feet – LOTS of feet. The folks who raise the chickens don’t actually use the feet themselves, so the last time they butchered they were kind enough to save a whole bag full of feet for me. Score! The only downside was that they were frozen into a big “chicken-feet-sicle”, but a couple of solid bangs on the counter top and I had some feet free.
Looking at these feet, I mistakenly thought that the skin and claws had not been removed on some of them. Because of the different ages and breeds of the birds, the underlying tissue looked pretty tough. After spending way too much time trying to remove skin that wasn’t there, I mentioned it on Facebook and was informed that indeed the skin had been removed already. (Did I mention I haven’t actually seen this done since I was a kid and I’ve never done it myself before? And that the feet were frozen and…yeah…whoops…) if by chance you happen to get feet that haven’t been skinned, Distinctly Different had a nice post on how to skin them.
Extreme foot closeup – aaaaah!
I think I ended up throwing ten feet into this latest batch of broth, but the original recipe recommends 2-4.
Here’s the recipe I used, from the cookbook Nourishing Traditions and also posted on the Weston Price Foundation website (along with beef and fish broth recipes).
Chicken Stock
1 whole free-range chicken or 2 to 3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones and wings*
gizzards from one chicken (optional)
2-4 chicken feet (optional)
4 quarts cold filtered water
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley
*Note: Farm-raised, free-range chickens give the best results. Many battery-raised chickens will not produce stock that gels.
If you are using a whole chicken, cut off the wings and remove the neck, fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity. Cut chicken parts into several pieces. (If you are using a whole chicken, remove the neck and wings and cut them into several pieces.) Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.
Remove whole chicken or pieces with a slotted spoon. If you are using a whole chicken, let cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass. Reserve for other uses, such as chicken salads, enchiladas, sandwiches or curries. Strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.
Here we have the 12 quart stock pot loaded with ingredients. I love how bright and fresh everything looks.
And here it is near the end of cooking time. I loaded it up in the evening and let it cook gently overnight.
Harvest a bunch of fresh parsley from the basement stash.
After that’s simmered for about 15 minutes more, I fished out the meat and veggies and strained the broth through my jelly bag. Here’s the meat.
Here’s the straining setup. I use my jelly strainer for broth and any number of other things in the kitchen. (Note – I noticed on Amazon this strainer got a lot of bad reviews. I’ve had mine for years and it has not rusted, and I fill the strainer bag to the top and it stays put.)
It was s big batch so I had to use more than one container. I like to strain to give a nice, clear broth. It’s darker than normal this time (almost resembling beef broth) because I used some purple carrots. There’s not much left of the chicken feet at this point.
You can tell you’ve got it right when, after sitting in the refrigerator, the broth jells up nicely.
I froze part of the broth and made the rest into a batch of chicken soup. For the soup I just diced up some fresh carrots, onions and celery, ran a couple of cloves of fresh garlic through the garlic press and tossed those in, cleaned the meat off the bones and chopped it into bite sized chunks. For seasoning I added some salt, pepper and curry powder. I finished it with some drop egg noodles. To make these noodles, simply beat several eggs (in this case I used four) and then mix in enough flour to form a stiff dough. Drop by spoonfuls into gently simmering soup, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick together.
There you go – one bowl of very healthy comfort food.
You can use this broth as a base for many soup recipes, including:
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup, Olive Garden Style
Cheese Soup in Homemade Bread Bowls
How neat! This is a perfect soup to begin spring. It's looks delicious!
Thanks! The carrots are holding up pretty well in the root cellar, so that's a help.
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You have a root cellar! I am oh so jealous.They were such a common thing in northern Minnesota where I grew up.
Laurie, I must say this is one of the best broth postings I have come across. Though you really got me laughing over the bag of chicken feet making me remember our hog butchering day last Fall….go here http://seedsofnutrition.com/?p=4326 to see my hog legs if you haven't seen it yet.
I really like your use of a jelly bag for straining. I'm going to have to purchase one. That beats cheese cloth and other methods.
Hi Laurie! I'm visiting you from Kelly the Kitchen Kop's blog and I must say, this the most incredible, step by step article on making chicken broth right on down to making the soup!
Thank you! You took the "scary" out of it! It looks and sounds delish!
Hi! I found your post from your comment at Kelly the Kitchen Kop. Why do the feet need to be skinned?
Thanks for stopping by, Annette and Martha. I love Kelly's blog, too.
As I mentioned in Kelly's comments, I have taken to cooking the feet separate from the meaty bones to avoid getting toenails in my soup (not a big deal to us, but sometimes freaks out guests).
Martha, you want to make sure to skin the feet because even in the best of conditions (these chickens had plenty of room to run outside in open grass) they run through things that I wouldn't want to put in my mouth (chicken poop, for starters
. Removing the skin gets rid of everything that was in contact with the ground, etc. The toenails even have outer casings that pop right off. Occasionally you may find a sort of callus/gall on the bottom of the foot where the bird was injured at some point but it created discolored scar tissue. This can be trimmed off and the rest of the foot used. This is more common with older birds, for instance retired laying hens. The older birds actually make the best broth because they've had more time to build up their bones/cartilage/skeletal structure.
Hey All,
Have you ever even considered what the REAL chicken's feet look like just going about their daily "business?"
These pictures are wonderful and I can't wait to find a supplier and make some really good broth.
I used to watch my grandma slaughter chickens and then take them inside to de-feather them. The stench was overwhelming. Already cut and
skinned is nothing in comparison.
Be grateful that you are able to get such a product and render it fit and wholesome for your family.
I am well aware of what chicken do every day, as I was raised on a farm where we raised large flocks of chickens, geese and ducks for many years. I'd estimate I've helped butcher several hundred birds over time. I'd usually get stuck with skinning the insides of the gizzards, among other tasks. I personally didn't find the smell any worse than plenty of other farm smells.
I am very grateful to my neighbors for sharing their birds, and in return I often barter produce I've raised in my garden. Country neighbors are the best!
Awesome stock Laurie! Have you ever heard that the claws have to be clipped off on the chicken feet? My friend Tara who lives here in my area told me you should clip them off. Sadly, I still have not gotten around to using my feet, which are in the freezer, for stock because I've been wondering how to deal with the claws and I don't have any kind of implement to clip them.
I need to get around and look at all your posts and many other of the blogs I love. I have been so behind on that. Thanks for sharing this great post about a very important activity more people should be doing in the kitchen.
I know that you need to clip the toenails off to be kosher, but as for their ability to make stock, they work just fine "as is".
I know what you mean about being behind in reading posts. Just not enough hours in the day.
I just now seen your fb page & blog… so glad. I've got a homegrown roosters with carrots, onions, cerlery & seasoning cookin away in a pot for dinner (chicken a' la king) & I was thinkin that was how I could make my own stock
Welcome, Jennifer. Lucky you – homegrown poultry makes the best stock. I hope you saved the feet for broth. They really do make a difference.
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