Why You Should Sear Chicken For Soup In Two Different Types Of Fat

Of all the comfort foods on the planet, chicken soup just might take the cake for its ability to soothe, nourish, and make us feel better. Not only does the dish in its infinite variations — from classic chicken noodle to coconutty Thai chicken soup — taste really good, it's actually proven to help us weather colds and flu by reducing the worst of the symptoms, according to HealthDay News. It's no wonder that so many of us have childhood memories of sick days at home in front of cartoons with a deep, steaming bowl of chicken soup in front of us.

Seeing as how the basis for chicken soup is simply whole or cut chicken simmered in broth, there are basically as many ways to make it as there are home cooks. Many add their own individual touches to the dish, such as squeezing in some bright lemon juice before serving or chucking in some chicken feet for additional texture-boosting gelatin. But however you make your chicken soup, you should never skip over the important step of browning the chicken in a stockpot before proceeding with the recipe, which the Mcginnis Sisters state adds to the flavor of the resulting soup. 

No matter what time of the year it is, a big, hearty bowl of chicken soup always seems to sound good, whether you're simmering a creamy chicken spinach soup or a lemony chicken orzo soup. While there seem to be as many chicken soup recipes as there are stars in the sky, one step they should all have in common is searing the bird in fat before adding liquid, which helps deepen the soup's flavor, according to Kardea Brown, host of Food Network's "Delicious Miss Brown." She told Kitchn that not only does she brown the chicken meat, but she actually makes sure to use a combination of both butter and oil to do so. "The two types of fat really draw out the flavor," she told the outlet.

The most likely explanation for a combination of butter and oil resulting in a tastier sear is that while butter brings a whole lot of flavor to the party, oil enables the meat to brown at a higher smoke point, according to Kitchn. The chicken will pick up flavor from the butter, as well as brown more deeply without burning, thanks to the higher smoke point of the oil. So the next time you're craving an enticing pot of chicken soup, give this tip a try and prepare yourself for an even more delicious bowl of everyone's favorite comfort food.