Spiced Chicken Broth with Chive Flans

Spiced Chicken Broth with Chive Flans
Spiced Chicken Broth with Chive Flans
Test kitchen director Ruth Cousineau, who developed these recipes, says, "For a big dinner, you must include soup. Just donÂ’t make it heavy." Here, she's created a chicken broth infused with the aroma of ginger and cardamom. Petite savory flans, studded with tender chives, lend a light creaminess to each mouthful.
  • Preparing Time: -
  • Total Time: -
  • Served Person: Makes 8 servings
Soup/Stew Chicken Appetizer Bake Christmas Dinner Family Reunion Chive Christmas Eve Simmer Gourmet Sugar Conscious Kidney Friendly Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 4 quarts cold water
  • 5 pounds chicken wings
  • 8 black peppercorns
  • 1 turkish or 1/2 california bay leaf
  • 2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch lengths
  • 2 carrots, quartered
  • 1 medium onion, left unpeeled, trimmed, and halved
  • 6 parsley stems (without leaves)
  • 1 (3-inch) piece peeled ginger, thinly sliced
  • 16 green cardamom pods, crushed
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped chives plus more for garnish
  • 1 whole large egg plus 1 large yolk
  • equipment: 1 flexible silicone "hemisphere" mold with 24 rounded cups or 2 lightly oiled nonstick mini-muffin pans
  • Carbohydrate 0 g(0%)
  • Cholesterol 14 mg(5%)
  • Fat 2 g(3%)
  • Fiber 0 g(0%)
  • Protein 2 g(4%)
  • Saturated Fat 1 g(3%)
  • Sodium 27 mg(1%)
  • Calories 24

PreparationMake Broth: 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. 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. Meanwhile, make flans: Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Simmer chives and half-and-half in a small heavy saucepan 5 minutes, then let stand, covered, 15 minutes. 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. 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. To serve: 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). Carefully transfer flans to 8 shallow bowls and ladle in hot broth. Cooks’ notes:•Broth can be made 1 week ahead and chilled (covered once cool) or frozen 1 month. Discard solidified fat. •Flans can be chilled up to 1 day.