Taking Stock
Great bowls of comfort start with a rich, nutritious homemade chicken broth.
During soup season – in our kitchens this started in earnest the first of the year and continues until the storm windows are no longer necessary – we spend endless hours perfecting chicken broth. The idea is a bowl that is so rich, golden, and nutritious (and best of all, low in calories) that you can sip the plain broth and warm up quickly. Add a few browned Chinese dumplings with a little soy dipping sauce and you have a feast. On the days when the sniffles make you feel sluggish, simmer a handful of crushed vermicelli in the broth and sprinkle a generous layer of freshly grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese on top. You'll be back to yourself in no time.
GOLDEN CHICKEN STOCK
MAKES 3 1/2 QUARTS
To get clear stock, blanch the chicken first. For a golden color, keep the skin on the onions.
4 pounds whole chicken wings
(about 16)
1 whole clove
1 onion, unpeeled and halved
4 large carrots, cut into
4 pieces
2 parsnips, cut into 4 pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into
4 pieces
1 bunch parsley stems
1 tablespoon kosher salt,
or to taste
3 1/2 quarts water
6 whole peppercorns
In a large heatproof bowl, place the chicken wings. Pour enough boiling water over them to cover. Set aside for 5 minutes.
With tongs, transfer the chicken from the liquid to a soup pot. Discard the water.
Press the clove into the skin side of the onion so it's firmly embedded. Add the onion, carrots, parsnips, celery, parsley stems, salt, and water to the pot.
Bring to a boil, skimming the liquid thoroughly. You will skim off about 1 cup of liquid. Replace it with 1 cup of cold water.
Add the peppercorns. Cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer over medium-low heat, skimming the liquid every 20 minutes, for 1 1/2 hours.
Use tongs to transfer the chicken wings to a large bowl; set aside to cool.
Set a colander over a large plastic container. Pour the soup into the colander. Discard the vegetables and aromatics.
When the wings are cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones and reserve the chicken meat for a salad, or refrigerate separately to add to the soup later.
When the soup is cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. The fat will solidify on the top of the stock. Use a slotted spoon to lift off and discard it.
CHICKEN SOUP WITH CHINESE DUMPLINGS
SERVES 4
Chinese dumplings are available in the freezer section of most supermarkets. Steam them over water before using, then fry in an aromatic peanut oil.
2 1/2 quarts golden chicken
stock
1 star anise
2 thick slices fresh ginger,
peeled
Salt and pepper, to taste
Peanut oil (for brushing
and browning)
12 meat or vegetable Chinese
dumplings
4 scallions, finely chopped
(for garnish)
In a soup pot, combine the chicken stock, star anise, and ginger. Bring just to a simmer. Turn the heat to the lowest possible setting and simmer for 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, discard the anise and ginger. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like.
Place a steamer insert in a large saucepan. Brush the steamer with peanut oil to prevent the dumplings from sticking and add enough water to come up to the level of the steamer.
Bring to a boil. Place dumplings in the steamer to make one layer (cook them in batches) and cover with the lid. Steam the dumplings for 8 minutes or until tender but not quite cooked through.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat a thin film of peanut oil. When it is hot but not smoking, brown the dumplings over medium heat, turning often, for 4 minutes until they are golden and cooked through.
Add 2 or 3 dumplings to each of 4 large soup bowls. Ladle the stock into the bowls and sprinkle with scallions. Serve at once with dipping sauce.
DIPPING SAUCE
SERVES 4
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine
vinegar
1 tablespoon hot sesame oil
1 small clove garlic, finely
chopped
2 scallions, very finely chopped
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and scallions.
Set aside for 20 minutes or until ready to use. Transfer the dipping sauce to 4 small shallow bowls and serve with the soup.
CHICKEN SOUP WITH VERMICELLI
SERVES 6
Pasta or rice with broth and lots of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is served in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Buy the authentic cheese, if you can. The recipe has so few ingredients, it makes a big difference if you use the real deal.
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock
(see left)
2 ounces vermicelli, coarsely
broken into 1-inch pieces
2 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups freshly grated
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
In a soup pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the vermicelli and cook, stirring often, until the mixture returns to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender but still has a little bite.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, use a fork to beat the eggs until they are frothy.
Slowly ladle 1 cup of the hot broth into the eggs, stirring constantly. Start stirring the pot of soup – and keep stirring – while slowly adding the egg mixture to the broth. Do not let the broth boil. Remove the pot from the heat, taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper, if you like.
Ladle the soup into 6 bowls,
sprinkle each with cheese, and
serve at once, passing the remaining
cheese. 