Chicken Stock and Chicken Noodle Soup
From Ferenc Horvath
Ingredients
1 (3- to 4-lb) chicken cut into large pieces
• 8 cups of water
• 3-5 Allspice for stock
• 1 tsp peppercorns for stock
• 1/4 inch slice of ginger for stock
• 1 large onion cut in half for stock
• 4 large garlic cloves for stock
• 3 large carrots (1 for stock, 2 chopped for soup)
• 2 parsley roots; optional (1 for stock, 1 chopped for soup)
• 3 large celery stalks (1 whole, 2 chopped), leaves reserved for garnish
• 1 leek, white part only, cut lengthwise and rinsed well
• 2 bay leaves for stock
• 10 sprigs fresh parsley (half for stock, half for garnish)
• 1 small celeriac (half cut into large pieces for stock, half chopped)
• 1 parsnip (half cut into large pieces for stock, half chopped)
• 5 shiitake mushrooms, sliced, for soup
• 6 ounces (half a bag) of green peas for soup
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 pound wide egg noodles, cooked separately
Preparation
1. Combine the chicken, onion, garlic, whole carrot, whole celery stalk, bay leaves, parsley, parsley
root, peppercorns, allspice, ginger in a stockpot. Add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat
so that the liquid bubbles gently but steadily.
2. Cover and cook, stirring gently every 15 minutes or so, until the chicken is fully cooked (30-40
minutes for parts, 50-60 minutes for a whole one). If necessary, add water to keep the chicken
submerged. To check for doneness, use a slotted spoon or tongs to carefully lift out some chicken and
pierce it with a thin-bladed knife. You should meet no resistance, and the meat should be white all the
way to the bone and may start to fall off in places.
2. Cook the egg noodles according to the instructions on the bag.
3. Carefully transfer the chicken from the pot to a shallow bowl with tongs. When it’s cool enough to
handle, pull off and discard the skin; pull the meat off the bones and cut it into bite-size pieces.
Reserve 2 cups for the soup and refrigerate the rest for another use. If you have time, return the bones
to the pot and let the stock simmer for another 15-30 minutes.
4. Put a strainer or colander over a large pot and carefully pour in the stock; press down on the
vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard them. Skim the fat off the top. You
should have about 7 cups; if not, add some water. Sprinkle the stock with a little salt and pepper. (If
you just want to make chicken stock, stop here.)
5. Bring the chicken stock just to a boil, then lower the heat so the liquid bubbles steadily. Pour a little
olive oil in another pot, add the chopped carrots, celery, parsnip, celery root and toss them for a few
minutes, then add the stock. Stir occasionally, until the vegetables are as crisp or tender as you like
(anywhere from 10-30 minutes).
6. Add mushroom slices, peas, and the reserved 2 cups chicken; adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles
steadily and keep cooking for another 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the
reserved parsley/celery leaves, and serve ladled over egg noodles.