Mothers Broth Recipes

Steps:

• Cut meat into large pieces, cracking bones in 2 or 3 places with a large heavy knife or cleaver. Put pieces in an 8- to 10-quart pot, then add cold water (6 quarts) and bring to a simmer, skimming froth.
• Add remaining ingredients and cook at a bare simmer (do not let boil), partially covered, stirring and skimming occasionally, 12 hours. Keep liquid 2 to 3 inches above solids by adding boiling water as necessary.
• Pour broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids. (Or ladle broth through sieve for a clearer broth.) Skim off and discard fat.

Steps:

• Place the chicken with neck, gizzard, heart and liver in a kettle and add chicken broth to cover and salt to taste. Bring to the boil and simmer until the chicken is tender without being dry, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool.
• Remove the chicken and take the meat from the bones. Shred the meat, cover and set aside. Return the skin and bones to the kettle and cook the stock down 30 minutes or longer. There should be four to six cups of broth. Strain and reserve the broth. Discard the skin and bones.
• Meanwhile, put the tomatoes in a saucepan and cook down to half the original volume, stirring. There should be one and one‐half cups.
• Melt three tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring to blend with a wire whisk. When blended and smooth, add one cup of the reserved hot broth and the cream, stirring rapidly with the whisk. When thickened and smooth, add the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• If the mushrooms are very small or button mushrooms, leave them whole. Otherwise, cut them in half or quarter them. Heat one tablespoon of butter in a small skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook, shaking the skillet occasionally and stirring the mushrooms until they are golden brown. Set aside.
• Heat three tablespoons of butter in a deep skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until wilted. Add the celery and green pepper and cook, stirring, about five minutes. Do not overcook. The vegetables should remain crisp‐tender.
• Add the garlic, beef and pork and cook, stirring and chopping down with the edge of a large metal spoon to break up the meat. Cook just until the meat loses its red color. Add the bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Add the tomatoes and the white sauce made with the chicken broth. Add the mushrooms.
• Cook the spaghetti or spaghettini in boiling salted water until it is just tender. Do not overcook. Remember that it will cook again when blended with the chicken and meat sauce. Drain the spaghetti and run under cold running water.
• Spoon enough of the meat sauce over the bottom of a five‐ or six‐quart casserole to cover it lightly. Add about one‐third of the spaghetti. Add about one‐third of the shredded chicken, a layer of meat sauce, a layer of grated Cheddar cheese and another layer of spaghetti. Continue making layers, ending with a layer of spaghetti topped with a thin layer of meat sauce and grated Cheddar cheese.
• Pour in up to two cups of the reserved chicken broth or enough to almost but not quite cover the top layer of spaghetti. Cover and let the spaghetti stand for four hours or longer. If the liquid is absorbed as the dish stands, add a little more chicken broth. Remember that when this dish is baked and served, the sauce will be just a bit soupy rather than thick and clinging.
• When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. (One of the stipulations in the original recipe for this dish is that the spaghetti including all the ingredients be combined at least four hours before baking, but it's not necessary.)
• Place the spaghetti casserole on top of the stove and bring it just to the boil. Cover and place it in the oven. Bake 15 minutes and uncover. Bake 15 minutes longer or until the casserole is hot and bubbling throughout and starting to brown on top. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan cheese on the side.

Steps:

• Combine chicken, carrots, celery, onion, parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt in a 6-quart Instant Pot. Add 10 cups water and bring to a simmer on "Sauté" set to high; skim foam from surface.
• Secure lid and switch to "Pressure Cook" setting; adjust pressure to high and set timer for 45 minutes. Once cycle is complete, quick-release pressure manually. Once the steam has been released, carefully remove lid and let cool slightly.
• Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve (discard solids); skim rendered fat from surface with a spoon and let cool to room temperature. Broth can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.

Steps:

• Place the chicken, carrots, celery and onion in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Add water, vinegar and salt (adding more water, if necessary, to cover chicken). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat nearly falls from the bones. Remove chicken from broth; allow to cool. Strain broth, discarding vegetables and seasonings. , Remove meat from bones; discard skin and bones. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces; set aside and keep warm. Set aside 1 cup broth; cool to lukewarm., To make dumplings, combine flour and salt. Make a well in flour; add egg. Gradually stir 1/4 cup reserved broth into egg, picking up flour as you go. Continue until flour is used up, adding additional broth as needed, and dough is consistency of pie dough. Pour any remaining reserved broth back into stockpot. , Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead in additional flour to make a stiff dough. Let dough rest for 15 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a 17-in. square. Cut into 1-in. square pieces. Dust with additional flour; let dry for 30-60 minutes. , Bring broth to a boil (you should have about 4 quarts). Drop dumplings into boiling broth. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until a until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (do not lift the cover while simmering), about 10 minutes. Uncover; add reserved chicken. Stir in pepper.