Chicken Broth

Single-handedly the most important ingredient in gumbo, stews and soups. Next time you get a carton of chicken broth at the store, give it a try and I promise you won’t use it again because it doesn’t have any flavor! Trash in = trash out. Don’t spend hours on a dish then dump in store bought chicken broth. I like this to be a very rich chicken broth which gives gumbo a deep flavor.

Quick Note: Chicken Broth = make with flesh , Chicken Stock = made with carcass and bones

Ingredients: As always in the order of your grocery store walk.

• 2 stalks Celery - halved

• 2 Carrots - peeled and halved

• 1 bunch Parsley - stalks only (do not dice)

• 6 sprigs Thyme - do not chop

• Cilantro - Stalked only (do not dice)

• 2 Onions - peeled and quartered

• 1 Whole Bird - giblets removed

• 2 lbs Chicken Thighs bone in, skin on

  Spices

• 1 Tablespoon Badia Complete Seasoning (non negotiable)

• 15 Peppercorns

• 2 Bay leaves

• 1-2 Tablespoons of salt

The Process

• Rough chop up the vegetables

• Toss everything in a 7 quart pot

• Add 4-5 Quarts of water

• Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour

• Let it cool and strain (be careful the backbone of the bird often falls out)

Jim’s Notes:

• Yes, I salt my chicken broth. I get it to a point of being slightly under salted and stop there. I don’t believe in waiting until the end of the final dish to make those adjustments

• Badia Complete Seasoning is a must.. why? It has MSG, yes MSG, Rodney Scott calls them Jesus Tears and yes they are. Almost all restaurant food uses MSG that’s why it’s so good. It’s no worse than salt, I’ll get off my rant but it makes everything taste better, period.

• You can use the chicken in the gumbo, or you can make enchiladas or chicken salad if you want to save the stock for a later date.