It is important to obtain bones directly from a local producer who rears animals ethically and naturally, being mindful that the quality of the animal's nourishment, environment and experience is stored in the marrow which you will be extracting for your own nourishment. For this reason wild animals are very good, so if you have a source make good use of it!

Chicken:  After a chicken roast, strip the chicken for remaining flesh and set that aside.  Remove fatty parts such as the skin. With the remaining bones and flesh, smash with a pestle or a knife (that you don't mind blunting) to expose the marrow. Alternatively obtain some old laying hens and cut whole carcasses into sections.

Beef:  Ask for joints such as the knee or ankle which are high in cartilage and leg bones which have plenty of marrow to be sawn into smaller pieces.

Fish:  Ask your local monger for fresh carcasses including heads.

It is not necessary to roast fish bones or re-roast bones that have come from a roast dinner. Other raw bones should be browned in the oven to open up the flavour and render the fat. Lay bones on an oven tray at roast at 180C for 20-30 minutes.

Add bones to a slow cooker or stewing pot and cover with plenty of water (chemical-free).  Add a couple of table spoons of vinegar which will help to extract minerals such as calcium from the bones and loosen the collagen. Add a roughly chopped onion, carrot and celery stick for some extra colour, flavour and supportive food energetics. Other popular additions are bayleaf and black peppercorns but don't add salt as this can be added later when using the broth in a recipe. Cook at a very low heat - bringing close to a boil and then just a gentle simmer. Boiling the stock will turn the broth cloudy and slightly bitter. Be sure to top up the water if the stock is reducing too much.

Slow cook a beef stock for  24 - 48 hours, a chicken stock for 18 - 24 hours, and a fish stock for 1 - 2 hours.

Because a bone broth brings nourishment to the deep interior of the body, it is very useful as a carrier for medicinal herbs. These can be added at the beginning of the slow cook. For an example astragalus root, chinese yam and shiitake mushroom will help to boost qi, dang gui and Sichuan lovage root will nourish and invigorate the Blood, and sea vegetables such as kombu (kelp) and dulse will nourish the Kidneys as well as add rich mineral content. Ask your Chinese medical practitioner to recommend herbs appropriate to your health needs.

When the stock is finished cooking, use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the bones and meat pieces. Then pour the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl to remove smaller pieces such as vegetables and herbs. Leave the fluid to cool. Remaining fat will rise to the surface (and may harden depending on type) and can be easily skimmed off the top of the stock (and used for cooking if you so wish).  After removing fat, transfer the stock into containers for storage. The stock should be gelatinous when chilled; the more gelatinous your stock is, the more collagen you have successfully extracted.

Bone broth should last up to a week in a refrigerator and can also be frozen for later use.

Use your bone broth as you would any stock - as a foundation for soups, stews, sauces and savoury congees. Some people like to simply warm it and drink it straight. We suggest using recipes without hot peppers and garlic - these are dispersive in action whilst the bone broth acts to ground and consolidate - make the most of these healing properties!