Gingered Chicken Consommé

Method

The final piece of Seamus Mullen’s chicken trifecta is this delicate, ginger-spiked stock, which uses the bones from his herb-roasted chicken. Mullen often sips the broth on its own, but it can easily be served as a light soup with sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms and some green vegetables, such as okra or mustard greens, just barely poached in broth.

• 2 chicken carcasses
• 2 large carrots, cut in 2-inch chunks
• 2 stalks celery, cut in 2-inch chunks
• 2 large pieces dried konbu seaweed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 head garlic
• 1 large knob ginger
• 1 large onion, quartered
• Salt and pepper to taste

To serve:

• 3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• Chopped cilantro
• Cider vinegar to taste
• Fresh lime juice

In a large pot, combine the chicken carcasses, carrots, celery, konbu, bay leaves, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, onion, salt, and pepper. Cover with water and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve, discarding all the solids. If you want a clearer broth, pour through a cheesecloth or in small batches through a paper coffee filter fitted to a glass pour-over coffee maker.

Finish with the ginger and chopped cilantro. Season with salt, pepper, the cider vinegar, and a squeeze of lime juice.

--

From Waste Not: How to Get the Most from Your Food by The James Beard Foundation/Rizzoli Publishing.

Yield

4 quarts