Rich Golden Chicken Soup
Nothing is more comforting than a bowl of homemade chicken soup. Almost every culture has their own version. Greeks add egg to the broth while Venezuelans add yucca. I never imagined there existed such a variety of recipes.
My grandmother used to serve a beautifully clear broth with a matzo ball in the middle of it. The broth was rich and flavorful. I constantly ask her if she would share her recipe with me. She always exclaimed that she would," but later!". Well later never came so I tried to ask her kitchen helper, Mame.
Of course she was tight lipped towards me as her employer probably didn't want her revealing any secrets. One day I went undercover and snuck a peeked around her kitchen. I absolutely could not believe what I found!.
A kitchen full of restaurant take-out bags! Of course I confronted my grandmother. She laughed and simply laughed again. I knew I would never see that Golden Chicken Soup recipe.
Many years later in Flemington, New Jersey I discovered a restaurant that had a chicken soup as golden and delicious as my grandmother's. The owner was more than willing to share its contents. After a few attempts I figured out how to prepare it.
Deliciouscookies.com kitchens re-tested it and we would like to share it with you. It is warm, clear and tasty. A lovely twist is to add cooked orzo before serving.
Ingredients:
Whole Chicken-large.
Carrots-4 peeled, finely chopped.
Celery-4 stalks cleaned, finely chopped.
Turnip-1 peeled, cut in half.
Onion-1 large peeled, whole.
Parsnip-1 peeled, whole.
Fresh Parsley-a small bunch, whole.
Chicken Bouillon Cubes-2.
Salt and Black Pepper- to taste.
Filtered Water-enough to cover.
Orzo-2 cups cooked.
Instructions:
Clean the chicken thoroughly. Remove and dispose of all organs. Place the
whole chicken in to a large soup pot. Add to the pot the carrots, celery,
turnip, onion, parsnip, parsley, salt and pepper. Use salt sparingly
because boullion that is salty will be added later. Salt to taste after
the soup is finished.
Add filtered water to the pot covering the chicken. Filtered water always improves the crispness of the flavor. Bring contents to a boil and then lower to medium.
Cook the soup for 1 1/2 hours uncovered adding water if necessary. Remove the chicken from the pot on to a large platter to cool. Strain the remaining ingredients through sieve over a large bowl. Remove all the large vegetables but retain the chopped carrot and celery. Add the stock, boullion cubes, celery and carrot back in to the cleaned soup pot.
Remove
the skin from the chicken and discard. Flake the chicken off the bones,
shredding into bite size morsels. Throw carcass away. Place some chicken
and orzo in the bottom of soup bowl. Ladle the rich stock over the chicken
and serve. Delicious as a main course.
Submitted by Gary
Solomon. Gary is the owner of The Kitchen Cupboard. One of the
Kitchen Cupboard's specialties are their delicious cookies and rugelach.
Visit
Delicious Cookies to see for yourself! Online ordering is
available. Or email Gary
for further information.
