TCC's Favorite Chicken Stock

If you are like me, you use stock instead of water whenever you can in recipes. If I am cooking a dish of veg or meat or both, and it says add water, you can bet your next beer that I'm ignoring the suggestion and dropping some stock bombs on that recipe.  Each pod in this recipe is 1/2 cup of concentrated stock. Use one of these for every 2 cups of water or stock/broth called for in the recipe. Just add the remaining water to equal the liquid called for.


NOTE: It is not uncommon to cook a stock for up to 72 hours. This reduces the bones to a sandy, mealy texture and guarantees a rich and nutritional stock. 

3 frozen carcasses I got from my butcher for free!

Chicken carcasses or bones and bits can be obtained from your local butcher for mere pennies OR sometimes they will throw them in for free if you purchase something else. Just ask. Your butcher can't keep all of it and if they don't make it into stock themselves they usually throw it away. I find it a crying shame when I see recipes for broth or stock that calls for actual chicken breasts or thighs or legs. An utter waste of good meat. Don't be afraid of the food that doesn't look perfect. In fact, challenge yourself to find uses for the parts of fruit, meat, and veg that you usually discard.








Ingredients:
2-3 Chicken carcasses or accumulated leftover bits and bones
2 large onions, quartered - Do not peel. keep those skins on!
2 bay leaves, whole
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
1 Tbl salt
Lots of water

Place all items into a large pot and fill with enough water to fully submerge. Cook on high until boiling then reduce to simmer. Cook for 4 - 6 hours. 4 - 6 HOURS! WHAT! Read further down for bone crushing reason.

Every hour or so give the pot a really good stir. At the 3 hour mark begin mashing the contents of the pot with a potato masher. Mash gently. Most of the bones won't be willing to bend to your will just yet. You'll be doing this a few more times so no need to gorilla crush everything into goo. Slowly press down onto the ingredients to loosen connective tissues and crack the bones. Why? The bones contain gelatin. We want that gelatin! Read up on the health benefits of gelatin from Grass Fed Girl. When the contents have reduced by half and the resulting color is a lovely light brown (from the onion skins), then strain into a large bowl. Go slow as the contents are still hot. Discard the meaty pulp. It isn't safe for consumption by human or animal as the bones are dangerous, even at the state they are in. 

Place the stock back into your pot and cook on high until the contents have been reduced by half again.
(This part is optional. I do this for freezing purposes as you will see below).  

 After stock had reduced by half, turn off heat and let cool completely (1-2 hours). When cool, pour into pre-staged containers (pods).
The pods I am using here are 120ml (4 oz) cups. I'm only filling them to the 3 oz mark.

Lid and freeze overnight

Places pods in a 2 inch hot bath for a few seconds.
This loosens the stock from the container.

Store in freezer bag for whenever you need.

TOFU MISO SOUP

Todays lunch is brought to you buy the back of a jar. Miso, a japanese soybean paste, is such a unique and wonderful flavor to our western palate. You can use it on grilled meats and veg, dressings, and of course soup. This is one of my favorite soups.  Below is the recipe off the back of the jar. I only do some slight additions. I'll put those in bold.

- 1/2 tsp Fish or vegetable stock cube

- 440 ml boiling water

- 2 tbsp Yutaka ORGANIC MISO PASTE

- 1 tbsp sliced spring onion 

- 1 tbsp dried wakame seaweed

- 1/3 packet of Yutaka tofu (diced).

- 2 tilapia fillet sauted or steamed (not fried)

- 2 tsp fish sauce

- nori rice seasoning

1. Add fish or vegetable stock to boiling water in a saucepan and simmer for 1 minute. 

2. Turn off the heat and add the remaining ingredients.

3. Stir well until the miso paste is dissolved. 

4. Add cooked tilapia fillet in small chunks. Do not shred!

5. Dish into two bowls. Add 1 tsp of fish sauce to each bowl and stir gently.

6. Sprinkle with Nori rice seasoning and serve

This soup is warm and brothy. If you've ever had a large bowl of pho then you'll know the experience. Filling without the heaviness.  Enjoy. 

Spicy Pickled Green Beans

Source: Anna Monette Roberts, POPSUGAR Food

Here is my attempt at this great tasting healthy snack. The source link, as always, is at the top of this post.

History of Pickling: Pickling is thought to have originated in India some 4000 years ago. Like today, it was used to preserve food that wasn't in season or meant to be shipped for long distances. Pickling comes in two forms; a brine or immersed in vinegar.  Brine pickling contains probiotic microbes and are a great addition to your diet. Vinegar pickling does not contain these microbes however the vinegar has been shown to lower blood sugar levels.

5 ounces (about 18) green beans, washed and cut to fit height of the mason jar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup filtered water
4 dried red chile peppers, pierced once or twice
1 teaspoon five-pepper blend peppercorns (or 3/4 teaspoon black peppercorns and 1/4 teaspoon whole allspice berries)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon whole coriander
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1-2 bay leaves
1-2 cloves of garlic, pounded once
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS

Chop beans to just smaller than the first lip of the jar.

(DON'T THROW OUT GREEN BEAN BITS see below)

To sterilize mason jar: In a very large pot, bring water to a boil. Submerge glass mason jar and lid, and continue boiling for at least 12 minutes to sterilize. Use tongs to remove jar and lids, and place on a clean kitchen towel to dry. Keep large pot on the stove to process jar later.









To make pickles: Fill mason jar with green beans. In a small saucepan, combine all other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour brine on top of pickles using a funnel, leaving about 1/4 inch of head space. Apply lid, wipe rim clean using hot water, and screw metal band on firmly.





To process jar: In the large pot of boiling water, lower jarred green beans, submerging jar in at least 2 inches of water. Process for 10 minutes. Use canning tongs to carefully remove hot jar, and then set it in a cool, dark place.


As the jar cools, listen for the lid to snap, signaling a proper seal. Wait five to seven days before opening the jar. (If jar does not seal correctly, then refrigerate once it cools to room temperature and use within two weeks.) Refrigerate upon opening. Discard opened jar after two weeks.  After canning. I had a bit left over in the jar so I added some carrot sticks. You could add any vegetable that is relatively dry such as cauliflower, broccoli, celeriac, etc.

Leftover food parts.

There are always leftover bits of vegetables when doing a recipe. I am planning a post just for this discussion however for times sake I will give you a few ideas for the green bean ends.

Idea #1: Risotto - Unbelievably easy and completely delicious.  I suggest that if you have never made Risotto that you start with this recipe:  Easy Risotto with Bacon & Peas By Mary Cadogan .  Replace the peas with your green bean bits but make sure to add them about 10 minutes prior to serving (they will need a bit of extra time to cook through). Bacon and green beans are a match made in heaven.

Idea #2: Stir fry - Just chuck them in with the rest of the veg. Try this simple recipe: Vietnamese Beef and Green Bean Stir-fry . This is also a great introduction to fish sauce.....just do it....the smell won't kill you.....you won't be sorry.