Name: Sous Vide Chicken Broth
Total time: 5 h 30 min
Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds chicken wings , cut into 2-inch pieces; 1 large onion , chopped; 8 cups water; 3 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon salt

Why This Recipe Works

Chicken broth is an essential ingredient in the kitchen, acting as a building block of flavor for soups, stews, sauces, and more. Making broth from scratch is a simple process of gently cooking bones and aromatics in water, but doing it on the stovetop can be a tedious task that requires constant monitoring. With sous vide, there is no need for broth vigilance, as cooking in a precise, temperature-controlled environment ensures flavor extraction from the chicken bones without evaporation. We found that chicken wings worked best to produce a remarkably clear broth with unadulterated chicken flavor. The simple additions of onion, bay leaves, and a little salt complemented the chicken flavor without overpowering it.

Before You Begin

To fit all of the ingredients in one bag, this recipe calls for 2-gallon zipper-lock freezer bags. If you do not have 2-gallon bags, simply divide the ingredients between two 1-gallon bags. Be sure to double bag the mixture to protect against seam failure. Note that this recipe requires a 12-quart container. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.

Instructions

Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 185°F/85°C in 12-quart container.

Place all ingredients in 2-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag in second 2-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until chicken is fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for at least 4 hours or up to 5 hours.

Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into large container; discard solids. Let broth settle for 5 to 10 minutes, then skim excess fat from surface using wide, shallow spoon or fat separator. Let cool, then transfer to airtight container and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.TO MAKE AHEAD: Broth can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.