"Good broth will resurrect the dead." South American proverb

I'd like to talk about something that is very near and dear to my heart, bone broth. I grew up on the good stuff. My Mom is a professional bone broth-er and I swear it's magic in liquid form... that and dry ice (how amazing is that frosty chemical smoke)! Anyway, the very best cookbook is Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon. It's my food bible. She has wonderful recipes and her philosophy is spot on. This is tied into the whole Weston A. Price Foundation and Price Pottenger, more on that later. But for now, here is Sally's chicken bone broth recipe. I tend to like to use at least 2 chickens because it make the broth so much more gelatinous and flavorful. I get my free range chickens at Trader Joes and have yet to find a good source for them locally in San Diego... but I'm on the hunt. Cluck cluck! Stay tuned for my beef broth photos, yum!

Here are a few photos of my broths. Different colors in the gelatinous broth is from different herbs and veggies I added while boiling:

This is what it looks like when I add it to my soup:

Ingredients:

1 whole free-range chicken or 2 to 3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones and wings*
gizzards from one chicken (optional)
2-4 chicken feet (optional)
4 quarts cold filtered water
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley
*Note: Farm-raised, free-range chickens give the best results. Many battery-raised chickens will not produce stock that gels.

If you are using a whole chicken, cut off the wings and remove the neck, fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity. Cut chicken parts into several pieces. (If you are using a whole chicken, remove the neck and wings and cut them into several pieces.) Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.
Remove whole chicken or pieces with a slotted spoon. If you are using a whole chicken, let cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass. Reserve for other uses, such as chicken salads, enchiladas, sandwiches or curries. Strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.