In the kitchen, nothing beats a good supply of a homemade chicken stock or chicken broth. This version, which I have made to be transparent and pure-flavored, is perfect for use in Chinese cooking.
But are you familiar with the distinction between stock and broth? I read somewhere that chicken stock is often produced with bones while the chicken broth is typically made with meat.
Now, what do you name it if it’s prepared using an entire chicken? There should be called “broth” if meat is included. Here on the site, though, we frequently use both of these names synonymously.
But more significantly, why bother creating your own chicken stock (or broth) when store-bought versions are so convenient? As for me, I can’t speak for you, but I tend to be picky.
Onions, celery, and many other items are used in the commercial preparation of chicken stock and broth. They’re great to have on hand in an emergency, but hear me out. The taste is just not appropriate for Chinese food.
Chicken stocks from the store sometimes have a hazy, thick consistency that is fine for making chicken noodle soup but not so great for other types of Asian cookery, such as Chinese.
“Original essence, original taste” (yuán zhī yuán wèi) is the cornerstone of traditional Chinese cuisine. You can see that there are only three components in this chicken stock recipe (four if you count water).
In order to achieve this, we will be distilling the chicken down to its purest liquid form. If you decide to make this recipe after the chicken stock has been prepared, sample a little with a pinch of salt, and you’ll know what I mean when I say that it’s pure and full of umami.
Ingredients:
- 2kg of whole chicken
- 18 cups of cold water
- 5 slices of ginger
- 4 scallions
Instructions:
- Combine everything in a big stockpot. You should bring it to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Slowly cook for at least four hours and preferably more than six.
- Stock can be chilled, strained into individual containers, and frozen for later use.