Do you remember the well-known self-help books like “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” ? The clichéd narratives of grandmothers or mothers nurturing us with soups during the chilly months? The warming, comforting and nostalgic nature of these delicious dishes.
I vividly recall my Italian grandmother buying bones or a humble carcass, tossing in some vegetables, and affirming that nothing else could calm her stomach or ease her like a broth soup.
I have not only used bone broth as a foundation for all my cooking and soup creations, but also for its remarkably potent healing properties and benefits.
For a while now, I’ve been outspoken about my obsession with bone broth. However, I truly wanted to explore it more thoroughly, hoping that my readers could embrace and incorporate this incredible recipe into their diets. The age-old adage, “food is medicine,” finds a fundamental example in this.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), bone broth is viewed as an essential intake for optimizing health. It has been demonstrated for thousands of years to aid women in conceiving, owing to its nutrient-dense nature and the healing benefits it imparts to our endocrine system and gut.
From immune system health, gut repair, collagen, amino acids, digestive repair and so many more benefits, lets explore why this magical elixir is knows as liquid gold?
Why is it called liquid gold?
Apologies to vegans, but there is no denying that a vegetable diet will never provide you with these specific benefits. While you can attempt to supplement it, it will never match the bioavailability and absorption found in this form.
Bones, cartilage, connective tissue, and marrow are brimming with vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Bone and connective tissue broths or stocks are foundational in nearly every cuisine worldwide, forming the base of traditional terrines, sauces, gravies, soups, and stews. Bone broth is a rich source of proteins and amino acids like collagen, glutamine, proline, hydroxyproline, and glycine. It provides these nutrients in a form easily utilized by the body. Bone broth is part of a nose-to-tail ancestral diet, and every culture on Earth has had some form of bone broth in its history.
Bone broth contains the necessary nutrients to support cellular and liver detoxification. The nutrients in bone broth aid in detoxifying the body by eliminating toxins, excess hormones, and other waste. The minerals in long-cooked bone broth also act as chelating agents, assisting in the elimination of heavy metals such as mercury and lead.
Contrary to popular belief, a broth made solely with bones does not necessarily boast an abundance of minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium. This is because bones are highly resilient compounds and do not readily release their mineral stash. The addition of vegetables, herbs, and spices can enhance the taste and increase the mineral content, but it may also elevate the levels of anti-nutrients, such as oxalic acid, in the broth, so moderation is advised. The mineral content of a bone broth without vegetables can be enhanced by introducing an acidic medium, like apple cider vinegar, to the cooking water.
My favorite Bone Both recipe
- Bone – I literally recommend going to your local butcher and getting grass-fed and organic bones if you have access to them. Ox, Beef and Chicken are my favorite. Keep the marrow and ask them to sliced them for you ( easier to roast)
- Vegetables- The broth staples are ( celery, onion and carrots)- Ill occassionally throw in whatever excess veggies I have to avoid waste.
- Herbs- Herbs add an exceptional amount of flavour and benefits. Bayleaf, clover and basil are my fave. I also throw in pepper kernels in there.
- Long simmer- The longer you cook your bones, the more collagen and benefits seep out. I aim for about 6-8 hours
- store in fridge up to 4 days. Freezes super well!
Method:
- Roast your bones until they turn golden brown. If you are using a whole chicken, skip the roasting and place it directly into your broth pot.
- Add approximately 1 liter of water, and be prepared to top it up every couple of hours.
- Toss in all your herbs and veggies. This cooking technique is incredibly low-maintenance—so easy that even my husband, who is not known for his cooking skills (he can’t even boil an egg), could handle it.
- Once you observe a rich golden color in your water, it’s ready! Use a sieve to separate the liquid from the bones. Pour the liquid into a glass container and refrigerate.
- salt to taste !
- Enjoy a cup every morning or use it as a base for your soups.
Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on this recipe!
With love, Vie xxx
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