Up until we moved to the farm, I hadn’t really cooked a whole chicken. It was pretty easy to buy some chicken breast and cook those up. But we raised meat birds the first year on the farm and so that’s where I started cooking a whole chicken!
I had no clue about Bone Broth or Meat Stock and the benefits of it! Since I started drinking Meat Stock I’ve noticed more energy, clearer mind(less brain fog) and more of a normal gut function(keeping things moving regular!) I do notice when I don’t drink it 3-4x a week I start feeling sluggish. So all and all it’s a “feel good” “lift me up” type of drink!
When cooking a whole chicken, you get so much more then just buying chicken breast to cook. It’s so much more flavorful and you get the bones and skin to save for making BONE BROTH.
I didn’t quite know what I was doing when I started cooking a whole chicken but I followed along in the GAPS diet and here’s what you do. It’s real simple and easy!
Instructions:
Put your whole chicken (thawed) into a pot (you will need a large enough pot for your chicken.) Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Skim off the foam (this is the impurities). Lower temperature to a simmer and cover. Cook(simmer) for 2-3 hours. You can check the temperature to make sure it is at least 165 degrees. I usually don’t add any flavor! Fresh pasture raised birds have been flavorful enough. We also will flavor the meat when we use it in different meals.
If it is a smaller chicken 4-5lbs I simmer it for 2 hours and if it is a lager chicken 7-8lbs I simmer it for 3 hours.
Now keep ALL the water the chicken just cooked in. That is called MEAT STOCK. I strain it thru a cheese cloth or flour sack. Then pour into 1/2 gallon jars. Store in fridge for a week or freeze. Meat stock is similar to Bone Broth, just a bit milder and more gentle on your stomach. We enjoy drinking plenty of it or using it in soups.
Take apart your chicken. Using a fork helps because it can be very hot! Keep all the meat for a couple meals and save the bones, skin and joints for making BONE BROTH. I store my meat in the fridge for the week and my bones in the freezer until I make my BONE BROTH.
Here on the farm we have been calling MEAT STOCK our “morning tea broth”. My kids and I love drinking it! Since I only make it once a week, getting around a gallon or two of Meat Stock, with everyone drinking some it usually doesn’t last that long. I try to save some for soups and other meals but we mainly enjoy drinking it!
Most of the time Meat Stock won’t turn super jellious like Bone Broth because of the high water content. Either way it’s still really nutrious to drink!
Here’s how we like to drink it. Using a smaller kettle, warm it up on the stove. Enjoy a warm cup of stock with a little added salt. And that’s it!
Boiling a whole chicken is the main way I cook my chicken. I have also used my crockpot! Put the whole chicken in and fill 3/4th way with water, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or I do it over-night and my meat and stock are ready in the morning! Strain the Meat Stock and save a cup to enjoy right away and pick the meat off your chicken and save the bones, skin and joints for Bone Broth. Doing it over night feels like it saves a lot of time!
I always keep the fat with my broth, some people don’t and will try skim it off but I like that extra flavor it brings! And if it’s real “fat” it will have added nutrients! Don’t be scared of real fats, they are healthy, especially for your brain.
I love cooking a whole chicken. It’s just a normal thing we do now.
Have you cooked a whole chicken?
Do you drink BONE BROTH or MEAT STOCK?
I would love to hear how you usually cook a whole chicken and what your thoughts are on cooking it this way!
