Unsalted Chicken Stock for Babies | Strained Broth for Purees

Remove and discard the skin from the chicken thighs, and trim off any visible yellow fat. The skin releases a lot of fat into the water, leaving a thick layer on top of the broth for the baby. Rinse the chicken in cold water.

Put the chicken in 2 liters of cold water over medium heat. If you start with hot water, the surface proteins coagulate all at once and disperse into the liquid, so the broth will not turn clear even after straining. Leave the pot uncovered.

As the water approaches a boil, gray foam will gather on the surface. Skim it off with a slotted spoon and continue until the surface is clean. If left in, the foam will mix into the broth as it boils and make its flavor heavy.

Reduce the heat until only an occasional bubble breaks the surface. Leave the lid slightly ajar and cook for seventy minutes. Add the chopped carrot, onion, and celery stalk during the last thirty minutes; vegetables added at the start will break down completely and cloud the broth. Do not use salt, bouillon, or powdered stock.

Remove a chicken thigh from the pot. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone; the internal temperature should reach 74°C / 165°F. If you do not have a thermometer, pull the meat from the bone. There should be no trace of pink or bloody liquid near the bone, and the fibers should separate easily with a fork.

Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and strain the broth. Do not discard the chicken left in the strainer: remove it from the bones, shred it, and store it separately to add to baby purees. Discard the bones and vegetable pulp.