Slow cooking the chicken bones!?!

Sunday evening in our house normally means eating a delicious dinner that has taken me a little while to prepare. I love to spend time in the kitchen and as my husband is at home on a weekend I get to spend even more time in there. He looks after my son while I cook the dinner.

Roast dinner is normally one of our favourite meals to cook and eat. We either have beef or chicken with roast potatoes and vegetables, yorkshire puddings, some steamed cabbage and homemade gravy. You can just smell it now! Delicious.

Recently, we have started buying our meat from a local butcher. The meat is organic and tastes amazing but it is more expensive than the supermarket. So I try to get more ‘bang for my buck’. Chicken stock is an excellent way to make the most of your leftover bones.

Now I know it’s a hassle and you will probably tell me you don’t have the time. I know, but the health benefits of making your own stock are amazing. Firstly, if you are watching your waistline the stock is naturally low in calories and fat. Homemade stock is also easily digested by your body so it’s great for people with intestinal distress such as diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome.

Plus stock makes a great base ingredient for many recipes. It can be used to flavour many sauces and vegetable dishes. The huge bonus with stock is that it has several important minerals that help the body. Stock contains a lot of potassium which is essential for a healthy heart. Phosphorous is another mineral in stock that helps aid the metabolism. It also helps build protein and helps with healthy bones and teeth.

Makes 2 – 3 Litres

Ingredients

• Chicken carcass x 1
• Leek x 1 large
• Carrots x 2
• Celery x 2 sticks
• Garlic x 4 cloves
• Water x 2 litres (depending on how much your slow cooker holds)
• Peppercorn x 6
• Bay leaves x 2

Method

• Start by washing and cutting your vegetables.
• Cut your vegetables in half then make sure they fit into your slow cooker.
• Place them at the bottom of the cooker.
  • Normally I throw the ends of the vegetables into the stock and if you have the leafy part of the celery then put this in as well.
• Once all the vegetables are in the pot, place the carcass on top.
• Then add the water, peppercorns and bay leaves.
• Finally turn the cooker on.
• Put it on high for four hours and low for six.

The best part about putting your stock in a slow cooker is you can just leave it. You do not have to worry about the water boiling away like on the stove. Although, if you don’t have a slow cooker then you can always put your stock in a large pan on the stove.For me the slow cooker is the quickest, easiest way to make stock. A perfect way to get a lot more out of your Sunday dinner!