Homemade Japanese Thick Broth

Flavor: Other; Technique: Stew; Time: One day; Difficulty: Moderate.

Detailed Steps for Making Homemade Japanese Thick Broth

Prepare pork bones, chicken feet, ham, and ginger;

Cut the pork bones into large pieces, soak them with chicken feet for 3-4 hours, changing the water several times. Soak the ham slices in warm water for a while;

Rinse the soaked chicken feet, place them in a pot, add a slice of ginger and a little Shaoxing wine;

Bring to a boil over high heat, continue to cook for a few minutes, constantly skimming off any surface foam;

Remove the chicken feet, wash them, and trim the nails;

Similarly, clean the pork bones, wash them, and set aside;

Place thick slices of ginger, spring onion segments, and ham slices at the bottom of a clay pot;

Layer in the pork bones and chicken feet;

Add enough water, bring to a boil over high heat, add cooking wine and a little white vinegar. Skim off any foam that forms. Then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 8-9 hours. I stewed mine overnight + into the morning, the aroma was so rich and enticing;

The stew should have a rich milky white color. Once completely cooled, skim off the surface fat, leaving the clear bottom part for later use;

Prepare the kombu, a small piece of ginger, and dried bonito flakes;

Rinse the kombu, cut into pieces, add to the clay pot, then add ginger slices, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to low heat and simmer for 30 minutes;

Add dried bonito flakes, continue to cook for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes;

Strain the bonito broth, mix with the bone broth, strain again to remove impurities, cool and store in containers;

Once completely cooled, seal and refrigerate. If refrigerated, it can be kept for 3-5 days. For longer storage, freezing is recommended! (Adding a piece of ginger helps prevent freezing.)