ginger scented chicken broth

Soups & Salads

Ginger-scented chicken broth

When I was a kid, coming home from school to the aromas of cinnamon, star anise and ginger meant that we would have pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) for dinner. This was always a good thing. I’d come home to watch my grandfather char onions halves and ginger over the open flame of a burner until they turned black, and he’d let me add them into the pot.

Ingredients

4 pounds chicken bones (carcasses, or necks, backs, wings, etc.)
2 medium onions, cut in half
1 4-inch piece of ginger
2 carrots, peeled
2 stalks celery
3 star anise
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
4 garlic cloves, peeled
6 quarts water
salt, to taste
lime juice, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken bones in a roasting pan. When oven comes to temperature, roast bones for 1 hour, or until thoroughly browned. Remove from pan and place in a 10-12 quart stock pot.
Place onion halves (peels removed) over the open flame of a gas burner. Use tongs to turn onions when needed. When onions are blackened, place in stock pot. Repeat method with ginger, but cut ginger into 1-inch pieces before placing in pot. Add carrots and celery to pot.
Make a sachet of spices: Pile star anise, bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves and garlic in a cheesecloth, and tie with kitchen string to make a little pouch. Add pouch to pot, as well as cinnamon sticks.
Fill pot with 6 quarts of cold water, making sure to cover all ingredients (add more if you need to). Bring pot to a boil and immediately turn heat down to medium-low. Let the pot simmer with the lid slightly ajar for 4 hours. Refrain from stirring here, so that you'll end up with a clear broth.
Remove all bones, veggies and spices from pot. Turn heat up to medium-high, and reduce to about half of its current amount. Taste, and add salt if needed. When broth is full-bodied and flavorful (and this depends on personal preference), remove from heat and cool. Add a healthy sprinkle of lime juice, if desired.