Parmigiano Reggiano Broth

With my youngest in New York and my oldest now in Connecticut I have been eating my way through NYC for the last few years.  On this last trip I had a wonderful dinner at a neighborhood restaurant in the Upper West Side called Telepan.  I had burrata stuffed mezzeluna pasta with parmigiano broth.  It was so good I had to come home an find a recipe for the broth.  I make a lot of pasta dishes with chicken stock but this adds so much more flavor.  It is very simple to make but does need time to simmer.  I found this from chef Michael White of Marea. I did half chicken broth and half water.  It can have many uses.  It makes for a light pasta sauce with sausage and spinach or broccoli rabe or for any filled pasta.  It could be used to cook risotto or in soups. It can be used in place of chicken stock in many recipes. It is a great use for the rinds of parmigianio reggiano. But it must be the rind of parmigiano reggiano as other parmesans can have inedible parts to the rinds. After the rind has been cooked it can be chopped up and added to your pasta or soup. It adds a nice flavor to the dish.  The longer it simmers the better but it's okay because it makes the kitchen smell wonderful.


Parmigiano Reggiano Broth
Ingredients
2-3 Tbs olive oil
1 onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 fennel bulb, chopped (can
 substitute leeks if preferred)
1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind
2 bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp whole black or white peppercorns
1/2 parsley bunch, stems and leaves
2 quarts water (or 1 quart chicken broth and 1 quart water or non chicken chicken stock)

Directions
1.  Heat 2 to 3 Tbs of olive oil in a large soup pot.  When hot, add the onion, garlic, and fennel.  Cook over moderate heat until the vegetables have softened and beginning to brown.  The more caramelized the vegetables are, the deeper the flavor your broth will be.

2.  Add 2 quarts water and the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to a simmer and simmer for at least one hour, more if you have the time.  Strain the broth before use.