We'll just go ahead and say it: we believe White Oak Pastures’ Pasture-Raised Stewing Hens make the best stews, soups, and broths. Our ladies get plenty of activity, spending their days laying eggs, scratching the soil to forage for grub, and roosting in our pastures. Compared to hens on conventional farms, our unconfined, pasture-raised hens can produce higher levels of Vitamins A, E, and Omega Fatty Acids.
After a healthy, long life, our hens develop a lot of connective tissue from all their activity. Connective tissue is incredibly rich in vitamins, minerals, and flavor but not well-suited for fast preparations (like grilling), because it takes a long time to break down and become soft.
The key to unlocking the magic of stewing hens? Slow cooking.
A long cook time over low heat breaks down the connective tissue in stewing hens and extracts nutrition and flavor. Cooking a stewing hen submerged in liquid, spices, and herbs releases the kind of rich flavor that Great-Grandma legends are made of.
(Not sure you have the time to make the broth yourself? We offer Pastured Poultry Bone Broth and Grassfed Beef Bone Broth, made in our on-farm commissary kitchen.)
Alli’s Stewing Hens
Ingredients
- 1 White Oak Pastures Stewing Hen (or a hen from our bundle Bird Box)
- garlic
- celery
- onions
- carrots
- parsley
- 3 bay leaves
- Himalayan salt
- black peppercorns
- 4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Place stewing hen and vegetables of choice in a pot and cover with water. Add all spices, herbs, and apple cider vinegar. Cook on low heat and slowly bring to a simmer. Simmer a minimum of 4 hours or up to the preferred 24 hours. Remove chicken carcass and place in a bowl to cool. Remove meat from the bone to make stews, soups, tacos, chicken salad and casseroles.
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Yield: 4 quarts (16 servings)
Fat: 1.3g
Need some visuals? Check out our "Cooking a Stewing Hen" tutorial on Youtube!
And if you love our stewing hens, check out some of our other broth, stew, and bone-related items:
