First, don’t think of this broth making adventure as extra work.  Think of it as extra food!  I know it’s easier to buy chicken bouillon cubes but not only are they less nutritious and don’t taste as good, but you also won’t have a the juicy bird a the end for dinner!  Here’s a list of all the things I was able to make from one batch of chicken broth:  chicken breast served with butternut squash soup (tomorrow’s recipe), real Italian chicken and mushroom risotto (recipe to come) and a delicious homemade chicken liver feast for my cat!  That’s three meals for four people and a feline.  So get to it!  You will need:

• one 4-5 pound (organic, free range) chicken
• 4 carrots
• 1/2 a celery head including leaves
• 2 whole onions, unpeeled
• 1 whole bulb garlic, cut through the middle so each clove is cut in half
• 3 bay leaves
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 2-3 cubes chicken bouillon

Open the bag of neck and gizzards and put them in a large pot along with the whole chicken, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaves, parsley and some salt and pepper to taste.   Fill the pot with water so that everything is covered and boil.  Suet, a brown bubbly substance will rise to the top.  Skin the suet off the top for as long as it continues to rise.  Cook for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours until the leg bone easily twist loose.  When the chicken is almost cooked taste the broth to see if you need to add some cubes.  Stir a crumbled cube or two in to give it extra punch, but be careful not to make it too strong tasting.

Remove chicken and let it cool.  While the chicken is warm, take the pieces from the bone.  Strain the broth into a storing container.  When your stock is cool or refrigerated, you’ll be able to skim the fat off the top.  Don’t through out the veggies!  You can use them in my butternut squash soup recipe or another soup of your own!