This chicken broth can be enjoyed as a soup or used as stock in other dishes.

You can make the chicken broth in advance and freeze it, if wished, or you can make double or triple the quantity and then freeze for later use. To intensify the flavour, it can be reduced by one-third before adding the garnish at the end.

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 5kg (3lb 5oz) chicken bones
  • 4 celery sticks
  • 4 carrots
  • 2 onions
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 15g (½ oz) coriander seeds
  • 2 star anise
  • 15g (½ oz) fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
  • 3 bay leaves
  • ½ bunch of thyme
  • 100g (3 ½ oz/ ½ cup) raw minced chicken
  • 2 egg whites

For the vegetable garnish

  • 2 spring onions (scallions), sliced 2.5cm (1in) fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into fine strips thin strips of carrot
  • 1 tsp Tamari
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Pinch of chilli flakes

Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°C, Gas mark 6.

Cut the chicken bones into small pieces. Cut the celery, carrots, onion and garlic into rough dice – approximately 2cm.

Mix the vegetables and chicken bones with the coriander seeds, star anise, fennel seeds and Szechuan peppercorns. Place them in a roasting pan and roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Using tongs, put the roasted vegetables, chicken bones and spices into a large saucepan. Cover with 4 litres (7 pints/16 cups) cold water and then remove any visible fat from the surface of the liquid with a small spoon.

Add the bay leaves and thyme. Mix the minced chicken with the egg whites and put into the pan. Simmer very gently for at least 4 hours until reduced and well flavoured. Allow to cool and then refrigerate the broth. Strain to discard the vegetables and bones, etc.

Pour a little of the cooled broth into a 1cm deep ramekin and leave to set in the fridge to a jelly. Remove when set and cut into dice to use as part of the garnish.

Just before serving, reheat the broth and serve in bowls garnished with the chopped jelly, spring onions (scallions), ginger and carrot strips. Add the Tamari, a dash of lime juice and a few chilli flakes.

This is a recipe from Gut Gastronomy by Vicki Edgson