How to make chicken broth from leftover rotisserie chicken and vegetables, by Steph Gigliotti on YouTube. 1 min 28 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 28 s
- Time to do it
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Pull any large pieces of leftover meat off the carcass and set them aside in the fridge for another meal. Break the frame into smaller pieces so it sits flat in the pot.
Put the bones, skin and any scraps into a large pot. Cover them with cold water by about 2 inches (5 cm), so nothing pokes above the surface.
Add the quartered onion, chopped carrot, celery, bay leaf and a few peppercorns. Skip the salt for now, since the chicken was already seasoned.
Set the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. This takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes on most stoves.
Turn the heat down as soon as it boils so the liquid sits at a gentle simmer with small bubbles breaking the surface.
Skim off the grey foam that rises to the top in the first few minutes and discard it. This keeps the finished broth clearer and cleaner tasting.
Simmer partly covered for 1.5 to 2 hours. Check now and then and top up with hot water if the bones start to show above the liquid.
Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl or second pot and ladle the broth through it. Press the solids with a spoon to get the last of the liquid out, then discard them.
Taste and add salt a little at a time until the flavour comes through. Cool the broth, then chill it and lift off the fat that sets on top.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the pot at a bare simmer rather than a rolling boil, which makes the broth cloudy and can turn it bitter.
Cool the broth quickly in shallow containers before putting it in the fridge, and never leave it sitting out overnight.
Freeze the finished broth in 2 cup (500 ml) portions so you can drop one straight into a recipe.
Use the broth within 4 days in the fridge, or within 3 months in the freezer.
Questions
Can I use the meat I pulled off the bones?
Yes, but keep it separate. Meat simmered for two hours turns stringy and dry, so add it back to soups near the end instead.
Why did my broth turn to jelly in the fridge?
That is a good sign. The gel comes from collagen in the bones and skin, and it melts back into liquid as soon as you heat the broth.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes. Put everything in on low for 6 to 8 hours, then strain as usual. Do not let it boil hard, even on the high setting.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
