Brothy Chicken with Ginger and Bok Choy

healthyish seamus mullen chicken kombu ginger shiitake mushroom rice vinegar bok choy

Seamus Mullen

2 servings

Source

Ingredients

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds total)

1 4x4-inch piece kombu, broken into bite-size pieces

1 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, crushed, plus more cut into thin matchsticks

8 small dried shiitake mushrooms (about ½ cup)

1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar

Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon dried turmeric or 1 1-inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled, grated

¼ head of bok choy, stems thinly sliced, leaves torn

Method

Place chicken on cutting board and flip onto skin side to expose rib bones. Using a small sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut a slash alongside dark brown, vaguely rectangular bone in the center of breast (it’s the keel bone, for the record). Use your fingers to pull the bone out, reserving bone, then tease out long strip of flexible cartilage just below it. Use shears or your fingers to strip off rib bones, reserving bones. Yes, this requires touching raw chicken, but doing this will allow the chicken to lay flat in the pan so it browns evenly and cooks more quickly.

Combine chicken bones, kombu, ginger, mushrooms, vinegar, and 3 cups water in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, skimming off any foam that rises, until reduced by about a third and broth tastes rich, 15–20 minutes. Discard bones.

Meanwhile, season reserved chicken meat generously with salt and let sit 5 minutes. Fit a steamer basket or insert into saucepan with broth. Transfer chicken to steamer. Cover and steam over medium-low heat, maintaining a gentle steam and replacing any water that evaporates, until chicken is firm to the touch and just cooked through, 15–18 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board.

Remove steamer insert and discard ginger. Add turmeric and bok choy stems to broth. Let simmer until stems are beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in bok choy leaves and simmer until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season broth with salt, if needed.

Remove skin from chicken and slice on a diagonal. Divide broth among bowls. Arrange chicken over (the kombu and mushrooms are fine to eat but it’s up to you). Top with ginger matchsticks.