back to the base-ics

Lynne Rossetto Kasper boasts that "merely bending your head over the steaming bowl" of her Triple Essence of Chicken Soup "will make you well." It was probably the title-word 'essence' (or possibly the box of tissues that I was quickly emptying, all the while my nose becoming more red and irritated) that made me long for this cure-the-cold concoction. After reading over the recipe, however, I was shocked to see that this medicine takes three chickens and three days to create...and after filling yourself with the soup (and infecting all of your roommates with the cold prior to finishing production) you will probably not have much leftover to share. Needless to say, I abandoned the recipe and bought a box of nyquil with my chicken money instead.

Now months later...and no longer hopped up on cold meds, I am using the winter chill and the lengthy hours at home on the computer searching for jobs as motivation to make the perfect chicken broth...something that takes a little less time and is a little more friendly toward our chicken friends than Ms. Kasper's recipe...but super yummy. If I can find a cure for the common cold along my journey, so be it...if not, at least I will have a tastey base for tons of different soups

If anyone has been into my slanted house they will appreciate the beauty of a solid foundation. A good soup base, so I hear, is easy to make (even an idiot could...) and you can make a large batch and freeze it for later, so there is no excuse for buying soup bases at the store which just do not do a good soup recipe justice. All you need is a day to sit in the house (not a whole weekend), a chicken (if you are making chicken stock, obviously), and veggies and herbs (I am following my recipe to a T for the first time...but you can pretty much use your best judgement and stuff you like....I plan to experiment later)

That being said...I am an idiot...and my first attempt at chicken base was a disaster; I flooded the pot while attempting to cool the broth by leaving the sink running on cold. Still...it could have been amazing , and I will attempt to make this again tomorrow and report! I will post the recipe that I used and if anyone wants to follow along with me tomorrow, feel free! Email me while you are working...we can share stories!

I am also pre-soaking northern beans tomorrow, and making dough for pasta, 'cause my first soup is going to be ministrone...

Here is the recipe courtesy of Alton Brown from the Food Network's show "Good Eats." It yields 5 quarts of stock.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds chicken carcasses, including necks and backs
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2
• 4 ribs celery, cut in 1/2
• 1 leek, white part only, cut in 1/2 lengthwise
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 10 sprigs fresh parsley with stems
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 to 10 peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 gallons cold water

Directions

Place chicken, vegetables, and herbs and spices in 12-quart stockpot. Set opened steamer basket directly on ingredients in pot and pour over water. Cook on high heat until you begin to see bubbles break through the surface of the liquid. Turn heat down to medium low so that stock maintains low, gentle simmer. Skim the scum from the stock with a spoon or fine mesh strainer every 10 to 15 minutes for the first hour of cooking and twice each hour for the next 2 hours. Add hot water as needed to keep bones and vegetables submerged. Simmer uncovered for 6 to 8 hours.

Strain stock through a fine mesh strainer into another large stockpot or heatproof container discarding the solids. Cool immediately in large cooler of ice or a sink full of ice water to below 40 degrees. Place in refrigerator overnight. Remove solidified fat from surface of liquid and store in container with lid in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days or in freezer for up to 3 months. Prior to use, bring to boil for 2 minutes. Use as a base for soups and sauces.