Here’s a really efficient way of cooking chicken for the week. Recently when I needed to rework our menu to accommodate low fodmap, fructose free, low salicylate and amine foods for my daughter I realised that I needed more protein not just for dinners but for breakfast and lunch as well as snacks. I was feeling chained to the kitchen and had to come up with a more efficient way of cooking more in one go. The following recipe was one result of this and will give you at least 3 lunches or light dinners for 4 people. You will also get a great chicken stock and of course the lovely layer of gelatinous fat for extra health benefits. If of course you are not following any of the diets that this recipe covers feel free to add in onions, garlic, and other herbs to make it even more flavorsome.
Poached Chicken
Yields: 1 whole cooked poached chicken + 5 liters chicken stock
This recipe will cover the following diets:
Fodmap
Fructose malabsorption
Candida friendly
Most digestive disorders
Salicylate and Amine Sensitivities.
Poached Chicken
Poaching would have to be the one of the most versatile ways to cook chicken. The chicken is tender and moist and allows for further cooking if needed in other dishes.
- 1 Organic or Free Range Chicken 1.5 kg or larger
- 7 litres of filtered water or enough to cover chicken
- 10 litre Stock Pot
- Place chicken in stockpot and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil, making sure to skim off the grey murky stuff that floats to the top.
- Turn the heat down and lower to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken from stockpot and let cool.
- Once cool remove skin and flesh from bones and store in a container in the fridge.
Chicken Stock
This delicious stock is suitable for people on a fodmap, fructose free, low amine and salicylate diet.
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 carrots
- 1 zucchini or 2 ribs of celery
- ½ bunch parsley
- optional: 2-3 bay leaves (peppercorns or other herbs)
- Place chicken bones back into water with vinegar.
- Let it sit for about 20 minutes
- Peel and chop up vegetables roughly and place in the stock pot.
- Turn heat on and bring to a slow simmer.
- Simmer stock for minimum of 8 hours but preferably 24-48 hours.
- Drain vegetables etc from the stock using a sieve and store in 1 litre containers or to the size you need. Will store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in freezer for 3 months.
From the poached chicken flesh I managed to make a
Chicken Stir-fry – use the chicken breasts and add sliced carrot, celery, Chinese cabbage, Bokchoy, parsley and some Tamari and Mirin. (I use the Spiral brand – has no added sugar)
Chicken Soup – use the chicken thighs and add diced carrot, potato, parsley, beans, asparagus, peas into the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper.
Chicken Scramble – use the rest of the chicken meat and add to a pan with some ghee or butter, chopped veggies and pour 4 beaten eggs over. Stir until egg has scrambled.
The stir-fry fed all of us, the soup was for 2 of us and the chicken scramble made breakfast for all of us. I was really pleased that when I went to the fridge in between the other main meals I was planning, I knew I always had a back up with the poached chicken. Of course there are so many ways you can use the chicken from sandwiches to a risotto or shredded for a salad. And the bonus was all that wonderful chicken stock. I recently had a hospital procedure and was advised to take as much chicken broth before hand as possible, as it would coat the lining of my gut well and limit too much damage from the bowel prep that I needed to take prior to the procedure. I was very glad that I had so much chicken stock on hand.
How about you? Do you poach chicken? Do you have favourite recipes to use with it? Leave a comment or a question.
