Ingredients
1 whole chicken (4 1/2 pounds), cut into 8 pieces with the backbone, plus 8 extra wings (1 1/2 pounds)
4 large sprigs parsley
2 large sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, plus freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds (1 cup)
1/2 stalk celery, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (1/2 cup)
One 2-inch piece ginger, sliced into matchsticks
5 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 heads baby bok choy, thinly sliced
Preparation
Fill a large pot with 14 cups water, chicken pieces, backbone, wings, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Skim foam, reduce heat, and gently simmer for 25 minutes. Remove chicken (except wings); continue simmering while you discard skin and remove meat from bones. Cover meat and refrigerate; return bones to pot and simmer 3 1/2 hours more.
Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids, including bones and wings. Skim fat and transfer broth to a clean pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, ginger, mushrooms, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, 25 minutes. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, stir in in the bok choy.
Cut or tear reserved chicken into 3 cups of bite-size pieces. (You’ll end up with an extra cup of meat; save it for a salad or a sandwich.) Add to broth, along with cayenne and lemon juice. Heat through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; serve.
