Hot broth drop 💋

Weekly dose of golden goodness enclosed

Following your appetite can be the most easeful and joyful way of living.

This week we have two chicken broths that were the result of doing just that. They have full, but very different, flavour profiles based on cravings.

• Chicken broth with tomato pulp, pico, avocado, breadcrumbs and crema

• Chicken noodle soup with roast pumpkin, sweet potato, soft boiled egg, lemon, butter, and sesame

Someone asked me recently why I share so many chicken broth recipes and the answer is three-fold: chicken is a good base of lots of different flavours, it is pretty quick and easy to make, and I enjoy eating it.

HOWEVER, I am planning on sharing some more diverse broth bases in the weeks ahead and starting to plot out an e-book of broth bases / basics as an easy reference point outside of these newsletters. I have more recipes than I can share in this weekly drop and videos are hard to keep track of and share!!!

My organisational dramas aside, let’s get down to it… BUCKLE UP, broth fiends and friends.

The chicken broth recipe I am loving right now

Every batch of chicken broth is a little different. It has its own flavour, its own character. You have to respect its unique personality. I go through phases where I enjoy different combinations of chicken pieces but right now I am obsessed with using chicken thighs for my broth (sometimes I’ll throw in 3-4 wings but not always). It results in a downright delicious, golden liquid with an intense chicken flavour and plenty of meat to shred and retain for other dishes.

I don’t add veggies in to my base broth because I like to just have a simple chicken base I can then build on with different flavours in individual dishes.

Shopping list (for 2 litres of broth)

• 4 skin on, bone in chicken thighs

• 2 onions

• 1 tbsp salt

• Enough cold, fresh water to submerge everything with like a finger joint of water above the chicken

Method

1. Put chicken and halved onions (washed and with the skins left on) into your stock pot

2. Add the salt and cover with cold water

3. Bring up to the boil and skim away the foam that comes to the surface

4. Reduce heat to a low flame and keep at a gentle simmer, skimming every 30 minutes or so

   1. For skimming, keep your ladle in a bowl of warm water, run it over the surface to draw the foam out of the liquid and clean this off in your warm water

   2. Throw away the contents and fill the container back up with fresh warm water for the next round

5. Every 30 minutes, I top up the pot with 1/2 a cup of cold fresh water

6. After two hours, I taste the pot and add more salt if needed

7. If you have time, keep the pot simmering for another hour

8. If not, after two hours, strain your broth through a fine mesh sieve into a large container

   1. Retain your meat and use it for dishes

9. Keep both in airtight containers in the fridge and use within 3 - 4 days

Chicken noodle soup with roast pumpkin, sweet potato, soft boiled egg, lemon, butter, and sesame

The earthiness of pumpkin, creaminess of egg and sesame, bright bite of green and lemon. People underestimate the humble pumpkin imo - it doesn’t have to just be blitzed into oblivion to make a soup sing.

Shopping list (per serve)

• 0.5 litres of chicken broth

• Roast pumpkin wedges

• Roast sweet potato slices

• Bok choy of other greens of choice

• 1 soft boiled egg

• Spring onion sliced (for serving)

• Lemon (juice of ½ lemon and a slice for serving)

• 1 teaspoon butter

• Toasted sesame seeds

• Noodles of choice - I used ramen noodles

Method

1. Toss your sliced pumpkin and sweet potato in olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt

2. Roast in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes at 200 c / 392 f

3. Heat your broth to a gentle simmer

4. Boil your egg

   1. Add your egg to boiling water

   2. Let simmer for 6 minutes and then remove and place in ice water to stop cooking process

   3. Peel your egg and slice in half for serving

5. Toast your sesame seeds in a small skillet over a low flame (put your seeds directly into the hot pan and swirl gently until they start to darken - remove from heat)

6. Cook noodles to packet instructions

7. Assemble bowls with noodles, your roast veggies, greens and a slice of lemon

8. Ladle hot chicken broth over the ingredients (the heat will cook your greens) and top with sesame seeds, egg, a spoon of butter and lemon juice

   

   

Chicken broth with tomato pulp, pico, avocado, breadcrumbs and crema

I love love love putting raw ingredients into hot broth - the heat will take the edge off but retain the bright zing of ingredients like herbs, tomatoes, garlic. I was dreaming of pan con tomate and tortilla soup and that delicious Wishbone Kitchen recipe with grilled chicken and tomato pulp + breadcrumbs and this was born.

Shopping list (per serve)

• 0.5 litres of chicken broth (homemade if you can!)

• Shredded chicken (I shredded two thighs I had from making the broth)

• 1 large tomato (half grated, half diced)

• 1 clove garlic (grated)

• 1 spring onion (sliced)

• Lime zest

• Lime juice

• 1 tbsp of crispy breadcrumbs per

• ¼ avocado diced

• 1 teaspoon of crema (creme fraiche or sour cream)

• Sliced green chilli

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Pepper

Method

1. Heat your chicken broth to a gentle simmer.

2. Put your grated tomato pulp into a bowl and combine with lime zest, garlic, a glug of olive oil, and a pinch of salt.

3. Combine your diced tomato with spring onion and a sprinkle of salt and a small squeeze of lime.

4. Assemble bowls by mixing pulp into the hot broth, add shredded chicken, and top with diced tomatoes, breadcrumbs, avocado, and crema.

5. Add a big squeeze of lime and sliced chilli.

6. LOVE YOUR LIFE AND LOVE ME.

Finally, there are now over one thousand broth fiends subscribed to this newsletter, representing the global chapter of soup lovers united. Thank you for being here and for reading. If you have any ideas for what you’d like to read more about, hit that reply button and let me know! I love hearing from y’all and what you’ve been cooking up. I am so grateful to share with you what’s in my heart and my cravings and my dreams.

Yours in broth and the full flavours of living,

xoxo Tahlia (BROTH FIEND)