A soup that is good for everything. For a bad mood, when it is gray and rainy outside. For warming up. For a party and a family dinner. Broth. The best. And roast chicken broth is a real delicacy.

“Would you like some broth?” my grandmother would ask when she saw me coming home in a bad mood. My mother served it to us when she noticed the first signs of a cold. Today, I do the same for my child. And sometimes for myself, when I come home exhausted after a difficult day. Because broth is a bandage soup and a blanket soup. It soothes and lifts your spirits. For everyday meals and holidays alike. Perfect when you want to taste solid, homemade food.

Every homemaker has her own recipe, and each one is the best. They have one thing in common—a generous portion of meat and an equally generous amount of vegetables. And a great deal of patience, because time and slow cooking draw out the deep flavor of the ingredients. The flavor will be only as good as the ingredients we put into the pot—if it is to be delicious, the products it is made from must be delicious too.

If you use chicken, choose antibiotic-free or organic poultry. The same goes for the vegetables. Only the best should end up in the broth. We love broths made from every kind of poultry, beef, veal, or several types of meat. And for special occasions, there is roast chicken broth.

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The Secret to the Flavor of Roast Chicken Broth

A French chemist, the very old Louis-Camille Maillard, is responsible for its flavor. Don’t worry—he will not be stirring the pot. But he was the one who described the chemical reactions that take place in meat when we roast or fry it. Proteins and sugars are transformed, and thanks to this transformation, our mouths water at the mere smell of a grill, and the aroma is irresistible. The same thing happens when coffee is roasted or bread is baked. Can you smell that crispy crust? Exactly…

It is the roasting that gives broth made with roast chicken its unique flavor and aroma. I put so-called inferior cuts of chicken in the oven. I roast the vegetables too. The accompaniments? Classic noodles and… raw carrot. Thin sticks provide a wonderful contrast to the hot soup. Add a pinch of chopped parsley, and you can dip your spoon into a full bowl.

P.S. You can use any chicken parts for roast chicken broth. Sometimes I replace the wings with drumsticks. Leftover… roast chicken also works well. Instead of throwing it in the trash, make broth.

And be sure to try the recipe for broccoli cheese soup.

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Enjoy!

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Recipe

Ingredients

  • 700 g chicken wings
  • 500 g chicken carcasses
  • 2 large carrots
  • 2 parsley roots
  • 1 leek
  • 1 onion
  • 1/2 celeriac
  • 1/8 head of cabbage
  • 1/2 bunch of dill
  • 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
  • salt, freshly ground pepper
  • a teaspoon of peppercorns
  • 2 liters of water.

TO SERVE

  • 125 g egg noodles
  • 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
  • parsley.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Divide the chicken wings into smaller pieces, season with salt and sprinkle with pepper, and place in a baking dish. Season the carcasses with salt and pepper as well, and place them in a second dish. Put them in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
  2. While the chicken is in the oven, clean and peel the vegetables, except for the cabbage. Cut them into smaller pieces. Place them in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil or oil. Put them in the oven where the chicken has been roasting, half an hour after you started roasting the meat. The vegetables need about an hour in the oven.
  3. Remove the roasted meat and vegetables from the oven and set aside 4 small wing drumettes. Transfer the remaining meat and vegetables to a large pot. Pour a little water into the dishes in which the ingredients roasted and wait for the browned juices to dissolve. Pour the resulting liquid into the pot.
  4. Pour in the remaining water. Add the cabbage and peppercorns, and bring to a boil. Do not let the broth come to a vigorous boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. At the end, during the last 5 minutes of cooking, add lovage.
  5. Strain the broth. Season with salt and, if necessary, pepper. Serve with thin egg noodles, fresh carrot sticks, and the small wing drumettes.