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Spring Chicken Broth

Chef Daniel Rose starts his day in the kitchen at 7:30 a.m. He begins with the chicken broth, first browning chicken wings, then adding a wine reduction, and then water, leeks, and other aromatics, but never carrots. “This isn’t the way my grandmother would have done it,” Daniel told me. “But we don’t want so much sweetness in our soup.” He doesn’t bother with a bouquet garni: “I just stick the herbs in the pot.” Freeze any broth that you don’t use right away.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4 quarts

Ingredients

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds chicken wings
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 whole clove
1 onion, peeled and left whole
5 shallots, peeled and halved
2 stalks celery
1/2 head garlic, peeled and separated into cloves
1 leek, halved and cleaned
1 bunch of fresh parsley
3 branches fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Peel of 1 orange
1 bay leaf
One 1/2-inch slice fresh ginger, peeled
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 small apple

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pour the vegetable oil into a large stockpot and heat. Brown the chicken wings in two or more batches, depending on the size of your stockpot. At this point, the wings should still be raw, but the skin should be slightly brown and lightly caramelized. Remove the chicken, and drain the fat from the pan.

    Step 2

    Return the chicken to the pan, and add the wine. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 6 quarts cold water to the pot and bring to a simmer, skimming off any scum that rises to the top. Stick the clove in the onion and add to the pot, along with the shallots, celery, garlic, leek, parsley, thyme, orange peel, bay leaf, ginger, and salt and pepper. After an hour, add the whole apple.

    Step 3

    Simmer for another hour, and remove from the heat. Allow to cool before removing the fat from the top. Then strain, return the soup to the pot, and bring to a boil, reducing to about 4 quarts. Adjust seasonings, and serve either as chicken soup with quenelles de matzo (matzo balls; recipe follows) or as a base for other soups or dishes.

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