Ginger-scented chicken broth

When I was a kid, coming home from school to the aromas of cinnamon, star anise and ginger meant that we would have pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) for dinner. This was always a good thing. I’d come home to watch my grandfather char onions halves and ginger over the open flame of a burner until they turned black, and he’d let me add them into the pot. When I got older and moved out of the house, I took those scents along with me. Nowadays, it seems I can’t make a stock or broth without using those ingredients to flavor them. There’s always a little Vietnamese inspiration in even the most American soups I serve, like chicken noodle or split pea. For this recipe, you start with a huge pot and 6 quarts of water, but you’ll reduce it to less than half of that in order to concentrate the broth’s flavors. You may only need a smidge of salt at the end, but sometimes I find that I don’t need it at all. The broth is finished with lime to perk it up a bit. - Furey and the Feast