ULB wrote:
> Anybody have a nice smooth tasting chicken broth recipe? I am a large
> fan of the swanson stock. Anything close to that?
>
> I have tried making my own, but it gets jello like when put in the
> fridge and ithat freaks me out. Anyone know how to avoid that?
>
> Thank you!

If you want it to taste and look like the bland stuff in cans--why, I can't
imagine, but to each his own!--put the vegetables (a carrot, an onion or
leek, a stalk of celery or some tops, a few garlic cloves) and some chicken
meat and skin in a large pot with water to cover by a couple of inches, add
a modest amount of salt, and simmer very slowly for 4 hours or more. Never
cover it completely and don't let it boil. Never stir it either. Skim it
thoroughly when foam first starts to rise, and periodically thereafter. If
you want to add spices and herbs (a bay leaf, some peppercorns, a little
thyme and/or tarragon, a few springs of fresh parsley, for example), put
them in cheesecloth or the equivalent so that they aren't visible in the
broth. Anyway, add them after you skim the first major foam.

If you want more flavor, you could brown the vegetables and meat first in a
roasting pan in a hot oven. Canned broth may contain turmeric for color, but
carrot also makes the broth yellower.

The best way to keep it clear in my experience is to scoop the broth out of
the pot with a glass measuring cup, pushing the solids aside, and pour
through a very fine strainer into a defatting thingie. (Now there's a
technical term. I mean one of those things that looks sort of like a
measuring cup with a spout, where you pour the broth off from the bottom
after the fat rises to the top.) Pour the degreased broth into another clean
pot, and dump the fat that is left behind. You can do this repeatedly until
you've captured almost all of the good liquid, then strain the remaining
solids in a colander or whatever, then put that liquid through the defatter
and fine strainer.

Then you can taste the broth, correct the seasoning, and reduce it if
necessary.

The easiest and cheapest way to accumulate sufficient meat is to save
trimmings in a bag in your freezer, adding more as you go until you have the
time or inclination to make some stock.