Chicken Bone Broth- ancestral medicine

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I recently purchased a book, Nurishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, a fascinating and controversial tome filled with anthropologic studies on nutrition and recipes following traditional methods. From fermenting foods to raw meat, this book covers many interesting dietary theories. The book is very controversial for its praise of animal fats and discouraging of vegetable oils and homogenized pasturized dairy, I can definitely imaging my vegan friends flipping a lid over this. Either way, I've found it to be a great read and can see the common sense in the recipes. My first attempt was bone broth. So, here we go down the schmaltzy road to CHICKEN SOUP WITH RICE. 

In my first attempt at broth I rushed into it a bit too enthusiastically and refused to reread the recipe. I used a roasted chicken carcass, a fresh organic chicken, beef bones, spinach, a bag of shredded Brussels I had lying around, organic carrots, celery, an onion, bay leaves and apple cider vinegar. At some point I threw in herbs my mom gave me. This was a slight disaster, so far as, the spinach and herbs dissolved into a green paste mixed in with the meat and small bones. Definitely use a cheese cloth bag to keep herbs separate. 

Attempt #2- I started with an ORGANIC chicken and two ORGANIC chicken feet from Whole Foods, because we are cooking out all the amazing minerals in the marrow of the bones it must be of the highest quality.  Covering the chicken with cold filtered water, I added a 1/4 of apple cider vinegar and let it sit for 30 minutes, I finally read the dang recipe. 

Then I added the celery, peeled carrots and bay leaves. A quick press of the button on my crock to 8hr and was finished and free to fold some laundry. 

8hrs or 2 playoff football games later- the celery had practically melted away, so I removed what I could and added more celery, carrots, sautéed onion, garlic, new potato chunks and pepper (no salt yet!) to make my morning prep easier, let's be honest I only give myself fifteen minutes to get ready, I separated as much cooked chicken as possible into a jar and refrigerated it. Then I reset the crock to 8hrs. 

  

6:45 this morning- the entire house smells of garlic and chicken, or HEAVEN. 

I grabbed my new ceramic travel mug and added some chicken from the fridge, leftover rice from Saturday's dinner, broth from the crock and selected a few carrots and potatoes. There it was, gorgeous chicken and rice soup that took practically no effort and will feed myself and the man for at least three days.