The best soup comes from the best broth. Though canned broths or even reconstituted broths are fine in a pinch, broth made from scratch lends a real depth of flavor. The broth can be frozen for up to 3 months.

OLD FASHIONED CHICKEN BROTH

Ingredients

1 whole chicken

This is the important part. Try to find a stewing hen, a ranch raised chicken, or a roasting chicken. You will find little flavor in a frying chicken of today.

2 carrots cut into small pieces

1 celery stalk cut into small pieces

1 medium onion, unpeeled and cut into quarters

5 parsley sprigs (or celery leaves)

1 garlic clove, unpeeled

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

2 tsp salt

bay leaf

In a 8 quart Dutch oven place the whole chicken with its neck, no giblets, and remaining ingredients.

Add 3 quarts of water

Heat to boiling over high heat, removing any foam from surface, reduce to low heat.

Cover and simmer 1 hour, turning chicken once and skimming foam if necessary.

Remove Dutch oven from heat and transfer chicken to a cutting board. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove chicken meat from bones. Refrigerate chicken meat for use another day.

Return chicken bones, skin and scraps to Dutch oven and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 3 hours.

Strain broth through sieve into a large bowl. Sometimes this must be done twice to remove solids. Discard solids in sieve. Cool broth slightly, cover and refrigerate. When cold fat can easily be removed from surface. Makes about 5 cups of broth.

Pressure-Cooker Chicken Broth

In a 6 quart pressure cooker place all the ingredients listed above but use only 4 cups of water.

Following the directions of the manufacturer, close the lid on the pressure cooker and bring up to high pressure and cook 15 minutes. Remove cooker from heat and allow pressure to drop for 5 minutes. Follow manufactuers directions to open the cooker lid.

Drain broth through sieve or colander into a large bowl. Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Discard solids in sieve. When the chicken is cool enough to handle cut meat from the bones.

In my own opinion the meat taken from this process is pretty flavorless, having contributed most of the flavor to the broth. It can be chopped and used in the soup.

Refrigerate broth overnight to make skimming easier.

Using a pressure cooker can be a scarey experience. A valve sits atop the small hole and steam issues forth and rocks this valve with a loud steaming sound. You want the valve to rock gently. No rocking the pressure isn't high enough. Too high and the pressure gets dangerous. It is possible to blow the chicken and water right through that little hole and up on the ceiling of your kitchen. This makes an unforgetable cleaning adventure.