Meaty Chicken Broth

Typically I’m not too fond of soups, but I started making this broth a few years ago when I was trying to learn more about nose-to-tail eating.

Nose-to-tail eating is a way to reduce food waste and promote sustainability. The idea is simple: rather than just eating the muscle meat of an animal, we should use all parts of it, including the organs, bones, and connective tissues. Not only is this approach more sustainable, but it can also be a great way to support healthy eating for fat loss and muscle gain.

First and foremost, nose-to-tail eating is a great way to ensure you're getting a wide range of nutrients in your diet. Organ meats, for example, are rich in vitamins and minerals that are often lacking in muscle meats, such as vitamin A, vitamin D, and iron. Bone broth, which is made from simmering bones and connective tissue, is also packed with nutrients like collagen, glycine, and glucosamine, which can support joint health and digestion, and is what I am showing you below.

In terms of fat loss and muscle gain, nose-to-tail eating can be particularly beneficial. For one, the protein in organ meats is typically more bioavailable than that in muscle meat, meaning it's easier for your body to absorb and use. This can help support muscle growth and repair, which is essential for gaining strength and building lean mass. Additionally, bone broth can be a great way to support fat loss. The collagen and gelatine in bone broth can help keep you feeling full and satisfied, which can help prevent overeating and support weight loss. Plus, the nutrients in bone broth can support gut health, which has been linked to improved weight management.

Again, nose-to-tail eating is a sustainable approach to healthy eating. By using all parts of an animal, we can reduce food waste and make more efficient use of our resources. Plus, where possible, choosing pasture- raised, grass-fed meats can further support sustainability by promoting regenerative agriculture practices.
Nose-to-tail eating is a sustainable and nutritious approach to healthy eating for fat loss and muscle gain. By incorporating organ meats and bone broth into your diet, you can support a wide range of nutrients, promote muscle growth and fat loss, and reduce food waste. Plus, by choosing high-quality, sustainably-raised meats, you can support a healthier planet as well; what’s not to like?!
As I mentioned earlier, I don’t like weak, watery soups (I just don’t see it as a meal!) so I make this broth quite meaty by ensuring I have picked off as much meat as possible when prepping this meal.

Method
Start by roasting a whole chicken (free-range/organic/pasture-raised if possible) perhaps for a roast dinner or anything else which requires chicken meat. When I do this at home we will use the breasts for our roast dinner split between 3 of us and serve with seasonal veg and gravy for a Sunday roast. This will still give me around 50g of protein in that meal. I then pour all the juices and jellies from the roasting tin, plus skin, into a stock pot and place in the chicken carcass to cool down and come back to this after we have eaten.

Once we have eaten I return to the carcass and pick off every little bit go meat and put in a dish, cover and put in the fridge.

With all of the juices and skin in the stock pot, use a cleaver to break up the bones, you don’t want them to be too small to fit past a sieve, but you want to be able to pack it all down as tight as possible later.
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Very roughly chop some seasonal vegetables; I enjoy this in the autumn, so carrots, onions, leek ends (use the rest of the leek later to serve). Keep the skins on and really don’t worry about chopping nicely; literally a carrot could just be cut into 4 or 5 chunks and thrown in the stock pot. Even leave the skin of an onion on, roughly chop in half and into the pot. Like I said, if using leek, just chop off the ends that ordinarily you may throw away or compost or give to the chickens and put the ends into the stock pot and leave the rest of the leek in the fridge for later. Season with salt and pepper, and throw in some parsley, thyme and garlic.

Pack all of this down into the stock pot as low as possible, you are now going to cover with cold water and the idea is to make a stronger broth; the more water you use the weaker it will be. If you are using a medium size chicken carcass with a few veggies as above then you will most likely need 1.5 litres to 2 litres of cold water to cover the ingredients.

Simmer for 3-4 hours with the lid on. [just a note that simmering is to very gently bubble and not boil. You don’t want to lose your broth] it will start to make your kitchen smell amazing.

Once simmered for around 3-4 hours, sieve, leave to cool and put in the fridge.

The next evening when you are ready to eat ladle into a pan the amount of broth you need and bring to a simmer. Add the cold chicken meat which you picked off from the day before, leftover from a roast, and add your fresh, diced seasonal veg such as carrot, leek, peas (we use frozen!). Again, get to a simmer again and cook through.