For the most part, Asian meat broths and stocks rarely include a lot of vegetables. Onion and ginger and basically it. No carrot or celery. However, for the Paul Bocuse soup with truffles, I came up with this hybrid recipe. I made it in my Fagor Lux, but you can use an Instant Pot or other kind of multicooker or pressure cooker. You can also do a traditional stovetop simmer in a stockpot.
Parboiling the bones and scraps releases scum. The result is clear with super clean flavor.
If available, add some chicken feet/paws for extra body. I got the above tub from the freezer section of my local Whole Foods; ask the butcher. Or, use a 3 x 4 inch piece of dried kombu seaweed instead. Combining the bones parts with meaty parts yield terrific results. Strain through fabric -- muslin is what I use, for clear stock. I leave a little fat for flavor.
Note: I use the term broth and stock interchangeable. Consommé refers to a clarified (clear) stock.
East-West Chicken Stock
Yield 8 cups
You can freeze the stock up to 3 months!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken backs, bones, or other scraps
- 12 to 16 ounces chicken legs or breast
- 4 chicken feet (optional, but great for body)
- ½ cup chopped onion or leeks (white part only)
- ½ cup chopped carrot
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 1 bay leaf
- Chubby ½ inch (½ ounce) ginger, peeled, cut into 3 or 4 coins and bruised
- Small handful cilantro or parsley sprigs
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 8 cups water
Instructions
- If you like, use a heavy cleaver to whack through the bony parts and scraps to reveal the marrow. Put the backs and other scraps in a 6 to 8-quart pressure cooker or multicooker, such as an Instant Pot or Fagor Lux Duo. Add water to barely cover. Bring to a boil to release scum and impurities. Dump into a clean sink. Rinse with water then return to the pressure cooker/multicooker.
- Add the legs or breast, feet, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, ginger, cilantro (or parsley), salt, and water. Secure the lid, then cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Naturally release pressure for 15 mines (20 minutes in a multicooker). Skim off as much fat as you like before filtering through muslin. You should have about 8 cups.
- Alternatively, use a 6 to 8-quart stockpot. Bring the back and scrap to a boil, then rinse. Return to the pot and add the remaining solid ingredients. Use 3 quarts water, and gently simmer for about 2 hours. If your pot is wide, like a Dutch oven, partially cover the pot to slow down the evaporation. If the yield is short of 8 cups, add water to make the difference.
Courses pantry
Cuisine Vietnamese-American
