You will need
- About 1.5 kg raw bones: chicken feet and wings, turkey necks, beef knuckle or oxtail, with a marrow bone or two
- 1 carrot
- 1 stick of celery
- 3 to 4 cloves of garlic
- A handful of parsley
- A splash of apple cider vinegar
- Fresh, filtered water, to cover
No salt, onion, leek, stock cubes or gravy granules.
Method
- Place the bones and vegetables in a large pot or slow cooker. Cover with fresh, filtered water and add the vinegar.
- Bring slowly to a simmer, never a boil, and skim away the foam.
- Let it barely bubble: 12 to 24 hours for chicken or turkey, 24 to 36 hours for beef, lamb or venison. Top up as it reduces.
- Stir in the parsley for the last ten minutes.
- Strain through a fine sieve, then strain again. Throw away every bone and the vegetables.
- Rest overnight in the fridge, then lift away the layer of fat.
Every bone goes. Cooked bones turn brittle and splinter, even after hours in the pot.
How much to give
Warm gently until just liquid, never hot, and pour over the usual food.
Toyunder 5 kg2 to 3 tsp
Small5 to 10 kg1 to 2 tbsp
Medium10 to 25 kg3 to 4 tbsp
Largeover 25 kgup to ½ cup
A nutritional top-up, not a meal: take a little of the usual food away to make room. For a sensitive stomach, begin with half. Freeze in an ice-cube tray for a ready portion each morning.
