First Chicken Purée
Light golden chicken stock, it can be added to your home cooking for extra nutrition and flavour.
I make this chicken purée on the same day I make homemade chicken stock, it means using the good chicken meat from the carcass and blending it in the broth. It is a delicious first chicken purée for your baby and you’ll have the added bonus of having chicken purées and homemade stock; both of which are packed full of nutrition.
Recommended 6 months + approx.
~ & suitable for freezing
Ingredients
1 whole organic chicken (1.5 kg approx.), jointed into 8 pieces with skin removed
4 litres of cold water
4 large carrots
1 large onion, peeled
2 parsnips
2 sticks of celery
3-4 sprigs of fresh parsley
1 large casserole pot, for cooking
N.B. Ensure your baby has had all of these ingredients separately to ensure tolerance – especially in atopic infants.
making the stock
Preheat the oven to 170C (fan oven)
Prep all the vegetables: wash, peel and cut into large chunks (use organic where possible)
Place the chicken pieces in a large cooking pot, add the vegetables and parsley; cover with 4 litres of cold water. Bring to the boil
Once boiling, skim off any foam that rises to the surface and discard, trying not to remove too much of the cooking water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and secure the lid with foil, so that the stock cannot evaporate away. Place in a low oven, for 1 hour 15 minutes
Remove from the oven: the stock should now be golden in colour: the chicken and vegetables should by cooked through and falling away
making the purée
Remove the chicken breasts, they should simply fall away from the chicken carcass, and add to a large bowl (2200 - 250g approx.). Remove the cooked carrots and parsnips (2500 - 250g approx.). Finally using a ladle remove 350-400ml of the stock.
Return the rest of the stock to the oven straight away and allow the stock to finish cooking for a further 45 minutes, to intensify the flavour
To finish the purée, blend the chicken breast and vegetables adding the chicken stock (you set aside) slowly, until your purée is the desired consistency. I use a stick blender. A first puree should be the thickness of pouring yogurt and smooth.
finishing the stock
Remove the stock pot for the final time from the oven
Strain the liquid stock; from the meat and vegetables, into a large bowl (do not leave the stock unstrained). Discard all bones and vegetables. You will be left with a clear golden stock.
storing homemade chicken stock, or chicken purée
Cool and refrigerate your purée or stock, in airtight containers. You need to reheat all the way through and then bring to room temperature before serving it to your baby to eat. I don’t keep the purée or stock in the fridge for more than 1-2 days.
Or cool and freeze your purée or stock, in multiportion trays. You need to defrost safely in the fridge, reheat all the way through and then bring to room temperature before serving it to your baby to eat. I don’t keep these in the freezer for more than 3 months.