How to Get the Most From a Chicken

If you buy whole chickens and enjoy eating them in a variety of ways, there is still more you can do after the meat is gone and you have a pile of bones to throw in the trash.

Soup stock is a wonderful way to utilize the leftovers, and soups such as Tom Yum, or spicy hot and sour Asian style soup, almost require that you make your own delicious stock.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chicken
• Water
• Stock pot
• Lemongrass
• Kaffir lime leaves
• Ginger

1. Use a large, heavy pan or crock-pot.
   Place your leftover chicken parts, which can include hearts, livers and other organs as well as bones, meat and skin, into your pot

2. Add a generous amount of lemon grass stalks (four or five), two or three kaffir lime leaves, and a dozen or so slices of fresh, sliced ginger root.

3. Add water to within two inches of the top.

4. Bring to a boil, and then simmer slowly for two hours.

5. When it has cooled enough to work with, pour all contents through a large colander and into a large bowl.

6. Refrigerate it until the fat congeals on top of the liquid, and then scoop off the fat and discard it (unless you like lots of chicken fat).

7. To complete your soup, you will need these ingredients:
   
   * 3 tbsp. sesame oil
   * 1 small hot pepper
   * 4 scallions, coarsely chopped, or 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
   * 2 carrots, peeled and sliced thick
   * 1 medium bell pepper, chopped fairly large (any color)
   * 2 stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
   * 6 fresh mushrooms, sliced
   * 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
   * 1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
   * 1 tbsp. fresh lemon basil flowering tops, if available (optional)
   * 1/4 cup soy sauce
   * Juice of 1 lemon or lime, or to taste
   * 1 tbsp. salt
   * 1 tsp. pepper
   * 5-6 cups chicken stock that you have cooked previously with the lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves and ginger slices
   * 1 bunch bok choy, chopped
   * 1/2 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
   * 1/2 package rice noodles

8. Heat the oil in your large pot over medium heat.

9. Add the hot pepper and stir-fry until blackened. Then remove it and discard.

10. Add all vegetables and sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

11. Add the soy sauce, lemon or lime juice, salt and pepper, and chicken stock, and bring the soup to a boil. Simmer for about 1 hour.

12. Add the bok choy, rice noodles and shrimp and cook until shrimp just turn pink, about 2 minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not overcook: the shrimp will continue to cook in the hot broth.
• Garnish with Thai basil or cilantro leaves.
• Serve immediately.
• Serves four.

[jull14]

on 6/28/2009 As always a great article with so much information. Excellent steps and very easy to follow, thank you so much for helping us learn everyday more. This is a very good article, thanks