Chicken Broth

When you remove the meat from the bones, save the dark meat for use in a casserole and the white meat for chicken salad. (To keep the chicken moist, return it to the strained broth and let it cool overnight in the refrigerator before you chop it for the salad.)

Ingredients

Makes 4 cups

3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

2 large carrots, scrubbed

2 medium stalks celery

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper

41⁄2 cups water

Schmaltz

The chicken fat that will rise to the top of the broth and harden overnight in the refrigerator is known as schmaltz. You can save that fat and use it instead of butter for sautéing vegetables.

1. Add chicken pieces and onion to a 4–6-quart slow cooker.
2. Cut carrots and celery into pieces that will fit in the slow cooker, and add them to the cooker. Add salt, pepper, and water. Cover and cook on low for 6–8 hours. (Cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces.) Allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Strain, discarding the cooked vegetables. Remove any meat from the chicken bones and save for another use. Refrigerate the (cooled) broth overnight. Remove and discard the hardened fat. The resulting concentrated broth can be kept for 1 week in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 3 months.