The other day I roasted a chicken stuffed with some of the preserved lemons from earlier in the season, plus some extra garlic. I really can't describe how wonderful this smelled while cooking. Just too incredible. The chicken tasted good, too, perfumed with spice and just enough citrus. But the really great thing was the broth I made from this chicken's carcass. Basically, I kept the lemons stuffed in the cavity and when the time to make the broth since the usable meat had all been eaten I just put the whole chicken, stuffing and all, into the pot. I added in carrots, a cut up parsnip, a cut up green pepper, more garlic, a couple cloves, a couple peppercorns, a cut up onion and a bay leaf. Please don't think that I'm bragging when I tell you that this was the best chicken broth ever. And, it made the best chicken noodle soup I've ever had in my life. I'm going to document here what I did, so you can see if you like it, but also so that I can do it again someday:
1. Cook the chicken carcass and the vegetables in water to cover for, oh, a while. Your house will smell great, so invite over someone you want to impress.
2. After a couple hours, remove the pan from heat and use a strainer to lift the solids out of the broth. (Don't press on the solids as you remove them so the broth will be clearer.)
3. Chill the broth for a bit so that the fat will rise to the surface and solidify. Now you can skim that off, too.
4. I poured the broth through my strainer again to get whatever little pieces were still in there.
5. In a large saucepan, saute a diced onion and some sliced celery in a little olive oil. When the onion becomes translucent, add the broth.
6. Now add some diced carrots and some frozen peas. (The proportions for all the vegetables are up to you. I like a pretty busy soup, so I used lots.)
7. Add cooked noodles or non-cooked homemade noodles. (I made my own noodles from the "New Basics" cookbook. I'm pretty darn proud of myself and they were awesome).
8. When the noodles are heated through, adjust seasonings and serve.
Whoever joins you in eating this soup will recognize you for the hero that you are. You have made something truly homey and comforting, something that cooks have been making for loved ones for centuries, and you should be proud of yourself.
I don't know what the next few weeks will bring in terms of home life in general and canning, specifically. There are the holidays and final exams, plus we might be moving. I still want to make the pomegranate jelly, which I'll do if I can find a source for the juice. I'm a pretty intrepid cook, but I have to draw the line somewhere and juicing pomengranates is as good a place as any. I'd like to make more mango jam, as it's proven to be very popular in our house. I'd also like to try my hand at spiced apples, which are so handy for ice cream toppings, pies and crisps. So hang in there and, if you have any ideas, e-mail me (my address is a new feature for Hot Water Bath). My friend Sue thinks I should have a message board. Maybe. It's easy for her to say, she's like this technology/programming/computer goddess-type person, whereas I am someone who struggles through a class in ColdFusion. However, I trust her and promise to check out the message board possibilities for all four of you who read this.