Boiled Chicken and Broth for Risotto

Vegetables and chicken

1. Since boiled chicken has an almost neutral taste, it’s worth cooking it with vegetables to get a light, pleasant broth. Carrot gives the broth a darker color and a slightly “sweet” taste, while celery and leek greatly improve the flavor of both the meat and the broth.

2. Peel the carrot and cut it into large pieces: cubes, sticks or rounds. The shape doesn’t matter at all, but don’t make the pieces thin.

   

3. Cut the leek crosswise into rounds 10-15 mm thick. For broth we usually use more of the white part.

4. Cut the celery stalk into cubes.

5. Put all the vegetables into a pot.

   

6. If the chicken is small, you can cook it whole, or cut it into several large pieces.

   

7. Remove any visible pieces of fat. Also clean off any remaining feathers.

8. Add the chicken pieces to the pot with the vegetables.

9. If you like, you can cook the broth with spices. In that case, put them in a sachet bag or tie them in a clean piece of cloth so the bits of spice don’t float in the broth.

10. Cover the vegetables and chicken with cold water so the level is above all the ingredients. Usually 2-2.5 l of water is enough.

    

Cooking

1. Boiled chicken should cook over low heat, literally at the edge of a simmer, which keeps the broth clear. A ceramic pot with a thick bottom makes it easy to keep the simmer very gentle. It’s very handy in home cooking, and we’re very happy with ours and used to it.

2. Put the pot on the heat and bring the water to a boil. If the chicken is good quality, there will be little foam or none at all.

3. As soon as it starts boiling, turn the heat down so the surface of the broth barely moves. A hard boil makes the chicken overcook quickly and the broth turn cloudy.

4. Cook the chicken covered for 30-40 minutes, until tender: the meat is easily pierced and comes away from the bone.

Serving and broth

1. As soon as the chicken is cooked, transfer the pieces to plates, add the vegetables as a side and pour over 1-2 tbsp of broth.

2. Serve while the meat is hot. We usually salt the chicken lightly at the table.

   

3. Strain the broth and let it cool. It makes excellent soups and works for risotto and other dishes.

4. Cooled broth can be poured into small, sturdy plastic bags and frozen.

   Boiled chicken and a rich broth have practically no carbohydrates, only high-quality protein and fat and lots of amino acids. Chicken meat is very healthy, and a rich broth is considered healing; it’s surely the best broth for risotto. If you’re not after the broth, though, I advise putting the chicken into already boiling water: a film forms on the surface instantly and keeps all the juices inside the meat.