Best Chicken Broth

Ingredients

One 3½- to 4-pound (1.6 to 1.8 kg) chicken

1 large carrot (about 4 oz/115 g)

2 large stalks celery (about 4 oz/115 g total)

1 large onion (about 10 oz/280 g)

2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1 bay leaf

10 black peppercorns

⅛ teaspoon dried chile flakes

1 small sprig thyme

Kosher salt

Directions

Pull the giblet pack out of the chicken (if it came with one). Put the chicken, heart, neck, and gizzard in a large pot (save the chicken liver for another treat). Leave the chicken whole unless it won't fit neatly; in that case, cut off the leg quarters so you can wedge everything into the pot.

Add water to cover the chicken by about 2 inches (5 cm)-about 5 quarts (5 liters). Drop in the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, chile flakes, and thyme. Season with 1 tablespoon

Bring to a strong simmer, reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers gently, and cook for about 1 hour 15 minutes-you want the chicken to be extremely tender, but not cooked so long that there's no flavor left in the meat. As any foam appears on the surface, scoop it off with a big spoon and discard it.

When the chicken is fully tender, cool slightly (so you don't scald yourself!), remove the chicken and set aside, then strain the broth and return it to the pot.

Pick the meat from the carcass and set aside to use in other dishes. (You can give the solids-bones and vegetables-a second boil in another pot, to make a lighter- bodied broth for other uses.)

Return the pot of broth to the stove and continue to simmer until the flavor is really deep and yummy, reducing by about half so that you end up with 10 cups (2.4 liters). Season with more salt, and when the flavor is good, you're ready to make so many excellent soups. You can refrigerate this broth for up to 3 days or freeze for up to

Notes

A rich, savory chicken broth is a magic elixir that you can use to make so many delicious and heart- warming soups and stews. The trick is to simmer the broth long enough to give it a deep, chicken-y flavor.

MAKE 2½ QUARTS (2.5 LITERS)