Ginger-scented chicken broth

Author Notes

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. When I got older and moved out of the house, I took those scents along with me. Nowadays, it seems I can’t make a stock or broth without using those ingredients to flavor them. There’s always a little Vietnamese inspiration in even the most American soups I serve, like chicken noodle or split pea. For this recipe, you start with a huge pot and 6 quarts of water, but you’ll reduce it to less than half of that in order to concentrate the broth’s flavors. You may only need a smidge of salt at the end, but sometimes I find that I don’t need it at all. The broth is finished with lime to perk it up a bit. - Furey and the Feast
—Furey and the Feast

Test Kitchen Notes

This broth is like a modified pho, with star anise, cinnamon, and charred onion and ginger. But instead of beef bones, the broth is made with roasted chicken bones, and lots of them -- 4 pounds! Call your butcher ahead of time. We were able to get some from a butcher who stores them in the freezer. The only tweak we have for this very simple, aromatic broth is to pour off the fat from the roasting pan used for the chicken bones and use 2 cups of the water to deglaze the pan, so you don't lose those tasty bits in the broth! - A&M —The Editors