Why cleave chicken when making stock?
Why would you cleave your chicken, bones, into pieces when you are making stock? I just throw whats left of my chicken in a pot with some vegetables bring it to a boil and then simmer away for an hour, am I missing something?
Best Answer
To release the bone marrow, which is excellent source of protein and has medicinal properties.
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Plus, this method uses small pieces of chicken that are cleaved or cut into smaller pieces allowing for the bone marrow to expeditiously contribute to enhanced collagen content of the stock. There is nothing like homemade chicken stock!Should you break chicken bones for stock?
As the stock cooks, the collagen breaks down into gelatin, if your not seeing this, you may need to cook the stock for longer. Obviously if you don't break the bones, the marrow cannot be released.Should you break bones to make bone broth?
Roast any bones beforehand for added depth and flavour if you like (not necessary for nutrition). It will also impart a rich color to your broth to change things up. You cannot cook a stock too long so don't worry about the cooking time if mixing animal bones.What makes homemade chicken broth cloudy?
Generally speaking, the cloudy nature of stock is simply due to impurities or particles in the stock. Stock should always be started with cold water and cooked, uncovered, at a simmer, without ever coming to a full boil. If the stock does boil, some of the fat will emulsify into the liquid, which can make it cloudy.How do you remove impurities from chicken stock?
The traditional method of collecting the impurities in a stock is to make a raft out of egg whites. You lightly beat some egg whites and stir it into the the stock while it's simmering. Let it rest, and the egg whites will cook, float to the top, and collect impurities along the way.The Ultimate Guide To Making Amazing Chicken Stock
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Answer 2
The collagen released from the chicken bone marrow is what gives the soup body; It's why the soup feels more substantial in your mouth than a spoonful of water. As the stock cooks, the collagen breaks down into gelatin, if your not seeing this, you may need to cook the stock for longer.
Obviously if you don't break the bones, the marrow cannot be released. That having been said, a large amount of fat is also released from the marrow which later has to be separated from the finished stock. I have made perfectly excellent soup without bones, in fact Cooks Illustrated suggested using ground chicken which contains no bones or marrow (albeit with some prepared stock).
I suggest you find a traditional stock recipe and follow it's instructions. You may find that you've been missing something, or that you like your current recipe more.
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