Servings: 8 cups broth with 2 cups shredded meat

1 (3 1/2 – to 4-pound) whole chicken 1 (3 ½ - to 4-pound) whole chicken
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped medium 1 medium onion, chopped medium
8 cups water 8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves 2 bay leaves

Cut the chicken into 7 pieces (2 split breasts, 2 legs, 2 wings, and a backbone). Set the split breasts aside, then hack the remaining chicken into 2-inch pieces with a meat cleaver.
Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken breasts and brown lightly, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add half of the chicken pieces and brown lightly, about 5 minutes; transfer the chicken pieces to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces; transfer to the bowl.
Add the onion to the fat left in the pot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Return the chicken pieces (not the breasts) to the pot, along with any accumulated juice, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken has released its juice, about 20 minutes.
Add the reserved chicken breasts, water, salt, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook, skimming as needed, until the chicken breasts register 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken breasts from the pot, let cool slightly, then remove and discard the skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-size pieces (see the illustration on page 43). Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer, then defat the broth (see page 18). (The broth and the chicken can be refrigerated separately in airtight containers; the broth can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month and the chicken can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

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