Cold Busting Chicken Broth - Chuck
Autumn has brought with it some colder weather the inevitable rise in the number of coughs, colds and sniffles around.
When one of my boys starts to show signs of being unwell, the first thing I do is whiz up a bowl of "chuck". It is a very simple, easily digested and nourishing dish containing fresh chicken stock/broth with carrots, peas, celery and any other veg you can add to it, plus shredded pieces of chicken and white jasmine rice. I will also make a batch for myself or my husband if we are in need of a boost, and I tend to add more ginger and garlic to pack more of a punch.
Homemade broth is packed with nourishing immune boosting properties, and the "chuck" contains anti-bacterial & warming garlic and ginger, which are supportive for the respiratory system. The final dish is rich and warming, yet refreshing and incredibly cleansing.
I always tend to make homemade broth/stock after a roast so I have some on hand in the freezer for exactly this reason.
100g white rice - cooked
2 sticks celery - cut into large chunks
2 or 3 carrots - cut into large chunks
1 white onion cut into wedges
70g peas
70g sweetcorn
2 cloves garlic - leave whole
3 cm ginger, large slices
1 or 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 chicken carcass from a roast
shredded chicken (taken from the carcass of the chicken)
1. Start by cooking the rice as per packet instructionsyour normal method.
2. Next get on with making your fresh chicken stock by placing the carcass into a large saucepan - it needs to be big enough to make sure that the water can reach right up to the top. Add in the onion, carrot, celery, ginger and garlic and cover with water.
4. Place on a high heat and bring the water to the boil. Once boiling turn down to a gentle simmer and leave there for a minimum of 2 hours. If you are able to leave it simmering for longer (4 hours would be ideal), top up with more water if required necessary. Then turn off and allow to cool slightly.
5. When cooled slightly, remove the chicken carcass (making sure you get any small bones that might have fallen off) and discard. You will now have a wonderful, rich and wholesome stock. If you want the flavour to be slightly more concentrated then increase the heat and reduce the stock down by evaporating it down.
6. Next add in the chicken pieces, peas, sweetcorn and spring onion.
7. Warm through before serving in a bowl, ladling the stock and delicious cooked vegetables over a couple of tablespoons of rice to create a chunky soup. Alternatively you can add the cooked rice straight into the stock mix and serve. You will enjoy watching it disappear :)
Freeze any leftover stock for another time.
If you feel your broth is lacking in seasoning, a handy tip is to add a small amount of marmite stir through to give even more depth or flavour, as well as a boost of B vitamins.
For the full recipe and more photos please go to "chuck" under our dinners category
