This broth takes that roast chicken you just made and spins its flavors from seasonal greenmarket to Southeast Asia. It’s great by itself when you’re a little run down, or fridge it or freezer it and use it in other Asian-inflected soups, stews or curries. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can omit the chicken carcass here and add in a load of mushrooms and more veg for a deeply satisfying and cleansing vegetable broth.
Makes 2-3 quarts
carcass of 1 roast chicken, leave a little of the meat on for flavor *if you want an even richer broth, add in 2 pounds of lightly roasted chicken wings/necks
2 shallots, halved, skins can be kept on
4-5 cloves garlic, smashed
1-2 pieces lemongrass
4-5 kaffir lime leaves, if available
5-6 sprigs cilantro or Thai basil
1 large piece ginger, halved
2-3 pieces turmeric, halved
1-2 Thai bird chilies
1 whole lime, halved
kosher salt to taste
whole black peppercorn to taste *(or get fancy with kampot or Indonesian peppercorn from SOS Chefs)
Dump all ingredients in a stock pot. Fill with water just to cover carcass by 3/4 inch or so. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 4-5 hours until you get a deep, chickeny broth. Add the whole lime for the last 30-45 minutes. Strain and discard spent ingredients (like in a compost bucket!). Give any fallen chicken scraps to your cat or dog as a lil treat if they’re not too salty/spicy.
