Easy Homemade Vietnamese Chicken Stock/Broth Recipe(Nuoc Dung Ga)

Good chicken stock is the soul of any soupy dishes, yet will makes any kind of foods taste. better.   This versatile broth is essential in every kitchen. You can buy ready to use stock in cans or cubes but nothing can beats freshly homemade stock. There are a lof of variants on how to make stocks. But the basic mostly pretty the same: chicken meats, bones or carcass , some herbs, spices and or vegetables and long simmered hours.

Here is Vietnamese style of chicken stock recipe.  Make it in a big batch to stock up and freeze it in the fridge.  It's quite time consuming to make a good clear and flavorful stock. Alternatively, you can use slow cooker to simplify the simmering process.  Slow cooker chicken broth is flavorful, aromatic and clear. Besides, it's low in sodium and free of msg or preservatives. 

Yields: about 12 cups/3 quarts

Ingredients:

5 lbs chicken parts (wings, backs or necks) or bones/carcass

5 quarts water

1 onion

1 piece of ginger (about 3-4 inches)

2 tbsp salt

1. Trim, remove and discard any loose piece of fat if any. Wash and rinse the chicken/bones under cool running water.  Using clever, smash the bones to break them apart, making cuts at 2-inch spaces. 
2. Place cold water in a stockpot, add the water and bring it to heat over medium-high. When it's almost to a boil then lower the heat and simmer the stock. To get a good stock,  do not let the stock into hard boiling. Gentle simmer and slowly cook will bring clear and flavorful stock. 
3. Use shallow spoon or ladle to skim off some foam and scum that rises to the surface. Repeat this step several times and make sure you get it out as much as you can. 
4. Add in ginger, salt and onion. Let's the stock simmer about 2 hours. 
5. Turn off the heat let the stock stand for about 30 minutes.  Strain the stock from bones and herbs.  Discard any small bits, scum, foam or sediments.  
6. I prefer to refrigerate stock over night to remove grease as much as possible. Once it is cold, it will be easier to remove the solid fat. At this point, chicken stock is ready to use.

This is easier method to get rich and flavorful of chicken stock.

Throw all of the ingredients into slow cooker and cook the stock in low heat setting for about 8-10 hours.

Strain and discard any bones , herbs and or vegetables (if you prefer add some vegetables). Then refrigerate the stock over night to remove some fat. When it is cold, solid fat is easier to remove. Now you are done and have flavorful stock.