Spiced Chicken Broth with Chive Flans
A sophisticated soup featuring a fragrant chicken broth infused with aromatic spices like cardamom, ginger, and bay leaf, served with delicate chive-flavored custard flans. Perfect for an elegant first course or light meal.
Ingredients
- •5 pounds chicken wings
- •2 whole celery ribs
- •2 whole carrots
- •1 whole onion
- •6 stems parsley stems
- •1 leaf bay leaf
- •1 piece ginger
- •16 pods green cardamom
- •8 whole black peppercorns
- •4 quarts water
- •¼ cup chives
- •1 cup half-and-half
- •1 whole egg
- •1 piece mold
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Bring all broth ingredients to a boil with 2 teaspoons salt in an 8-to 10-quarts heavy pot and skim foam. Gently simmer, uncovered, skimming occasionally, 4 hours.
240 min
- 2.
Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a damp paper towel into a large bowl, discarding solids. Skim off and discard any fat. Season with salt and pepper.
15 min
- 3.
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
5 min
- 4.
Simmer chives and half-and-half in a small heavy saucepan 5 minutes, then let stand, covered, 15 minutes.
20 min
- 5.
Whisk together egg and yolk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a 2-cup measure, then whisk in chive mixture until blended. Put mold on a rack in a roasting pan and put 1 teaspoon chive mixture in each cup (if using mini-muffin pans, fill only 16 cups; about 1 tablespoon per cup). You will have mixture left over.
10 min
- 6.
Bake in a water bath until flan is just set, 8 to 10 minutes (10 to 12 if using muffin pans). Carefully remove mold from water bath. Cool flans at room temperature, then chill until cold, at least 1 hour.
70 min
- 7.
Run a thin knife around flans to loosen. Invert mold onto a baking sheet and, pressing gently, pop out flans (or lift out of muffin pans with a small offset spatula).
10 min
- 8.
Carefully transfer flans to 8 shallow bowls and ladle in hot broth.
5 min