What my chicken stock was missing....

So, they don't sell any kind of stock or broth down here in Chile. Anytime people ask how I make my risotto or soups I have to explain that I put old chicken bones and some veggies in water and cook it for hours and hours....to this I usually receive an interested but, "I would never do that" kind of look. There are bouillon cubes for that Missy!

Needless to say, I like how my food comes out if I've used my own stock, and it helps me keep track of everything that is going into the dish. Bouillon cubes can definitely help out, but they usually scare me away with the crazy amount of salt and msg.

Ok ok, I'm getting off my soapbox about bouillon, and back to my original post -- what my chicken stock was missing! For about a year now I had been using Alton Brown's chicken stock recipe here. When I didn't have a big enough pot I just cut the recipe in half - including the cooking time. BIG MISTAKE! After doing more research, I realized that the cook time was the most important part, meaning the longer the better! This time around I went for it - cooking my stock the full 8 hours - and BAM it was awesome! Mucho mucho better than my previous stocks, I could tell by the color, texture, and taste that this was really something to write home about. Though it only yielded 3 quarts, it seems worth it for all the extra nutrients gleaned in those 8 hours - and it's not like I had to sit there watching it or anything.

Also, I started reading this blog's Perpetual Soup idea and while I don't have a slow cooker down here, it made me want to start drinking bone broth! Have any of you heard of this idea? Sounds great for the winter time, when we are perpetually cold and sick.

Have a great day, may you be very blessed in your current cooking endeavors!
Missy