Chinese superior stock

Makes 5 litres (175 fl oz)

Good chicken stock is vital in Chinese cooking, but this fabulous superior stock is essential for making soups and dishes with the characteristic gelatinous quality you find in great restaurants. Exquisitely rich and absolutely clear, this is the calling card of a great chef. Cooks use a whole chicken with legs attached, pork bones, Jinhua or Yunnan ham, dried scallops and sometimes dried abalone. Jinhua ham is not available in the West, but Spanish jamón or Italian prosciutto are good substitutes. Dried scallops, sold in Asian grocers, add umami depth, but are optional. A good trick to help achieve crystal-clear stock is to soak the bones in cold water before cooking to remove the impurities.

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pork bones

1 x 1.8 kg (4 lb) free-range chicken, quartered and rinsed

100 g (3½ oz) cured ham

3 dried scallops (optional)

50 g (1¾ oz) ginger, unpeeled and bruised with a cleaver or heavy knife

2 spring onions (scallions), trimmed

1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns

2 tablespoons rice wine

Rinse the pork bones, put in a large bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 1 hour. Drain the bones, rinse well and put in a large stockpot along with the chicken. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Tip the chicken and bones into a colander and rinse well under cold running water. Rinse the stockpot.

Put the chicken, bones and all the remaining ingredients in the stockpot and cover with plenty of cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat until the liquid is barely simmering and cook, uncovered, for at least 4 hours, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface. Set aside to cool.

Skim any residual fat from the surface and strain the stock through a sieve lined with muslin (cheesecloth). Leave to cool completely, then refrigerate. The stock will keep refrigerated for up to a week. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.