Broths, Consommés, and Simple Broth-Based Soups

Many cooks who gladly spend hours in the kitchen baking or preparing elaborate dinners are thrown into a panic when it comes to preparing a simple chicken broth. Although there are a few tricks for making broth clear and especially delicious, slow simmering of meat, fish, or bones is all that is needed. Once you get the broth going, you can set it on the back of the stove and, except for occasional skimming of fat and froth, forget about it. The actual time spent working in the kitchen is 15 or 20 minutes, and the result is well worth it.