Chicken Paitan (Tori Paitan) Broth

Fact-checked on paper only. This recipe has not been cooked or tested yet.

Why this works

Paitan is Japanese for an opaque, creamy broth made by boiling bones at high heat for hours so they emulsify into the soup. Tori paitan is the version made with chicken bones. The word comes from the Chinese baitang, meaning white soup [Wikipedia, Ramen]. Feet and wings carry the collagen that makes the body creamy, so do not make it from lean breast bones alone. We make no claim about where or when it started, because the sources we could check disagree or give none.

Yield: 2.5 liters (about 2.5 quarts) Times: prep PT25M, cook PT6H, total PT6H25M (ISO 8601)

Equipment

• 10 quart stockpot
• Fine-mesh strainer
• Instant-read thermometer
• Immersion blender (optional)

Ingredients

• 1500 g (3.3 lb) chicken backs and carcasses
• 500 g (1.1 lb) chicken feet
• 300 g (10.5 oz) chicken wings
• 4 L (4 qt) cold water for blanching
• 3 L (3 qt) cold water for the broth, plus hot water for topping up
• 30 g (2 stalks) scallion whites
• 20 g (3/4 oz, a 1.5-inch piece) fresh ginger, sliced
• 15 g (4 cloves) garlic, smashed

Steps

1. Put the backs, feet and wings in the pot with 4 liters of cold water.
2. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 5 minutes.
3. Drain and rinse the bones under cold running water.
4. Wash the pot, return the bones, and add 3 liters of fresh cold water.
5. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
6. Add the scallion whites, ginger and garlic.
7. Hold a hard rolling boil for 4 to 6 hours. Top up with hot water to keep the bones covered. The broth turns opaque and creamy.
8. Optional: once the bones are soft and falling apart, around the 3 hour mark, blend in short pulses with an immersion blender, then keep boiling. Never blend with the pot on a hot burner you cannot control; lift the pot off the heat first.
9. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing gently on the solids.
10. Chill and store as described in the storage section.

What to watch for

• Using only lean parts gives thin broth. Keep the feet.
• Under 4 hours at a hard boil is usually not enough to get creamy.
• Over-blending makes bone paste. Pulse briefly and strain well.
• Blending hot liquid can splash. Keep the blender head under the surface and pulse.

Storage

• Chill fast. USDA's rule for any cooked food is to refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90 F) and to divide a big pot into shallow containers so it cools quickly [USDA FSIS, Keep Food Safe].
• For reference, USDA's plant guideline is 130 F to 80 F within 1.5 hours, then 80 F to 40 F within 5 hours. A home kitchen cannot measure that well, so use an ice bath and shallow pans [USDA FSIS Directive 7110.3].
• Refrigerate at 40 F (4 C) or below and use within 3 to 4 days. Freeze for best quality within 2 to 3 months [USDA FSIS, Leftovers and Food Safety].
• Reheat to 165 F (74 C) and bring soups to a rolling boil before serving [USDA FSIS, Leftovers and Food Safety]. Frozen broth can be reheated straight from the freezer.

Allergens: None inherent. Check the tare for soy, wheat and fish.

Pairs with

Shoyu tare, shio tare or miso tare. Good with ajitsuke tamago and scallion oil.

Sources

1. Wikipedia, Ramen (chintan, paitan, tori paitan terms; Rairaiken; Hakodate shio; Sapporo miso): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramen
2. USDA FSIS, Keep Food Safe (2 hour / 1 hour chilling rule): https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/steps-keep-food-safe
3. USDA FSIS Directive 7110.3 cooling guidelines for plants (130 to 80 F in 1.5 hours, 80 to 40 F in 5 hours): https://meathaccp.wisc.edu/validation/assets/Directive%207110.pdf
4. USDA FSIS, Leftovers and Food Safety (refrigeration windows, reheating): https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/leftovers-and-food-safety

Citation links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramen
• https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/steps-keep-food-safe
• https://meathaccp.wisc.edu/validation/assets/Directive%207110.pdf
• https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/leftovers-and-food-safety