Asian Style Chicken Stock

For as long as I could remember, there was this book on my mother’s bookshelf called ‘Chicken soup for the woman’s soul’. I remember reading it countless times during my teenage years. When I pulled it off the shelf and read it for the first time, I was still rather young. I was a teenager who had all the comforts in the world. I had not experienced any hardship in my perfectly comfortable life. Needless to say, while I enjoyed the uplifting read, the struggles and hardship of womanhood had not quite resonated with me at that point. The feel-good feeling after reading it however, was enough for me to go back and read it a dozen times more during my teenage years.

Two decades on, a husband and a child later, writing this blog post has jolted my fond memories of this book. Having experienced 2 decades of life, I have a much deeper understanding and appreciation for the stories in this book. Reading about the experiences of other woman is both inspiring and uplifting. This feeling of delight, dare I say, is the type of comfort I also find in a warm bowl of chicken soup. You might think I’m exaggerating, but that’s how it feels for me. Growing up with an Asian background, whenever I felt under the weather, the women in my life, mum, aunties and grandmas, would always conjure up a steamy rich bowl of chicken soup. It was as if it was the cure for everything. Again, I may not have the appreciation for it when I was younger. Now, however, what I wouldn’t give to have my mother bring me a bowl of chicken soup to bed when I’m feeling rubbish. It has stuck so much, I find myself making chicken soup for my daughter the moment she’s suspected to be coming down with a cold.

Since starting on a low salt diet, I’ve come to the realization that majority of store bought broths, soups, and stocks are heavily salted and not suitable for my consumption. This includes basically all liquid stocks, powdered stock cubes, canned soups, soup in pouches and the instant soup packets. I found even stocks labeled as “reduced salt” still contain too much sodium. Living in Melbourne, where I consider it ‘too cold’ a good 9 month of the year, having to give up soup is hard. So the only way around it, is to DIY. The process is really simple.

I started to make chicken stock weekly. I know. Weekly! I discovered that a good stock can serve as a flavour booster in everyday cooking when sauces and condiments become less available when doing a low salt diet. So, I invested in an electric pressure cooker in order to make this work. Not only does the pressure cooker reduce the cooking time. I can put it on, walk away with a peace of mind that I’m not leaving an open flame on my gas cook top. I don’t have to worry about the soup boiling over and spilling. I don’t have to worry about the soup boiling down too much that I need to add more water. The result is consistent stock every time.

The beauty of chicken soup is you can really add anything you want. For the actual ‘chicken’ in the stock, I’ve tried making it with a bag of chicken carcass which costs me $1.5 at my local market. I’ve tried making chicken stock with whole broiling chicken. I’ve even tried making stock entirely using chicken feet only. The result yields different concentrations, flavours and consistency of stock. It really depends on personal preference.

I’m sharing this particular recipe today because this is the one Asian style chicken stock I make the most. I make this almost weekly because it is the most economical at $1.5 a bag of five chicken carcass pieces. More importantly, it still yields amazingly flavoursome stock. This particular stock I use in every day cooking. It’s great as a base for Asian soup noodles, Chicken and vegetable soups, Stir frying Asian greens, Silky Egg Hor Fun, Congee, Oyakodon, Charwanmushi, just to name a few. Wherever Umami is required, the stock can provide. I adjust the concentration of the stock as required depending on what dish I’m cooking. (I will provide recipes for above in time) It is so easy and fuss free to make, which makes it even more of bonus. In addition to the chicken, I add vegetables, aromatics and spices entirely depending on what I’ve got on hand. You can’t really go wrong.

Almost all the dry ingredients in this recipe can be easily found in your local Asian grocer. In this recipe, I’ve added below:

• Dried shitake mushrooms
• Bay leafs
• Dried jujube dates
• Goji berries
• Fresh Ginger
• Fresh Garlic
• Dried Astragalus
• Dried scallop

Of the above ingredients, Dried Astragalus might be a little more difficult to find. Dried scallops are quite readily available, it gives the stock an extra umami boost, but it can be quite expensive. I put these 2 ingredients in if I have access to it. Don’t stress if you can’t find it. Omitting it will still give you a flavorsome, fragrant stock. Feel free to add in any other aromatics or vegetables you have on hand. Again, the soup is totally versatile. Sometimes I would throw in a few celery stalks, carrots, whole onions, peppercorn, aromatics whatever you like really. You may even wish to roast the bones first before making the stock for extra depth of flavour. I don’t usually bother simply because it’s an extra step.

A touch of acid will usually yield a richer more wholesome end product. I always add some apple cider vinegar to the pot to help bring out more nutrients and gelatin from the bones and connective tissue. White vinegar, Apple cider Vinegar or even White wine will do the trick. A tablespoon or two is usually all you need. It’s a small amount and you don’t have to worry about the stock tasting too acidic.

It’s really hard to go pass home made chicken stock. Especially when the products available on supermarket shelves are all so salty. Even the “reduced salt” products are still packed full of salt. I make chicken stock once a week and store them in clear water pitcher in the fridge. I tend to finish the stock within 4-5 days, or freezing the stock into 250ml portions in the freezer is also a great way to ensure there’s always some available. Being prepared is the key to success and adhering to a low salt diet.