numnums broth with kombu and special effects

added by
ingredients
all
3 pieces kombu
dried kelp, optional
4 lbs chicken bones
necks, backs, wings, etc. as skinless as possible
veal marrow bones
optional, for gelatin
6 qt cold water
enough to fill the pot
2 tbsp vinegar
apple cider or red wine vinegar
1 whole onion
quartered
1 tbsp herbes de Provence
12 whole cloves
4 whole bay leaves
1 tbsp soy sauce
optional
2 tbsp ginger
optional, peeled and roughly chopped
gnarly bag
optional
shiitake mushrooms
dried, pulverized in a coffee grinder or equivalent, optional
We always have home made broth in the freezer. When a recipe calls for broth, we just unmold the frozen broth from the container directly into a saucepan and then thaw it over medium-low heat. Our recipe will often vary, and in the photos above, we mixed and matched recipe components to come up with 3 different formulas. It always involves our vegetable and herb trimmings that we store in a ziplock bag in the freezer, aka our "gnarly bag." It always involves chicken bones from the butcher, and sometimes frozen chicken carcasses that we've saved from Costco rotisserie chicken. We kick it off in the morning, then strain and store the broth at the end of the day. We have all hands on deck involving all of the large pots that we own. The special effects include the following: kombu (dried edible kelp) for glutamates (compounds that add umami/savoriness), pulverized shiitake mushrooms for glutamates, vinegar to help extract minerals out of the bones, veal or other marrow bones for gelatin that's great for the skin, and ginger to aid with digestion.
1
If using kombu, warm 3 cups of water to 150°F. You can do this at the bottom of the stockpot you'll use for broth. Steep the kombu for 1 hour then remove the kombu from water.
2
Roast the bones on a baking sheet lined with foil for 45 minutes at 350°F.
3
Add the bones and enough water to cover the bones. Bring the bones and water to a boil in the stock pot. Add the vinegar, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. If needed, skim and discard any scum that rises.
4
Add the onion, herbes de Provence, cloves, bay leaves, and soy sauce if using. Also add ginger, mushrooms, and the contents of gnarly bag at this time if using. Add more water to the pot to fill it up. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 2 1/2 hours, or longer if you have the time.
5
Line the mesh strainer with moistened paper towels and strain the stock through it. It's usually easier to strain the broth while its still warm. Cool the stock then transfer it into storage containers. It will keep in the freezer for a few months or in the fridge for 5 days.