This is the start of the New Year, a new time, a new beginning and my first blog. The first blog of the New Year; Primordial Soup. I choose chicken! The universally, unchallenged healing tonic laded with magical powers of ‘curing all that ails ye’ comfort food whose recipes and memories of are as individual and diverse as each one of us. I set out on a quest, now decades ago, to identify my favorite chicken soup recipes from which evolved my own. Loaded with noodles and spice, with lots of rustic cut veggies and chunks of chicken.
This is where I first discovered, what I think of as layering of spices. I am not a professional chef and I am sure I rediscovered a wheel long previously revealed, but to me this was enlightenment at the time. I like bold favors and depth in savory dishes that need to be nurtured and cultivated within the recipe.
I would love to hear from all of you who have a Best or Favorite Chicken soup recipe.
This is my own.
Primordial Chicken Soup Recipe
4 pounds of a quartered chicken seasoned with salt, pepper with a dusting of plain old poultry seasoning. Skin on
1 cup each, like sized, roughly chopped of
celery, red pepper, yellow onion and carrots
butter
2 tablespoons dried thyme and tarragon
salt and pepper to taste
10 cups chicken broth - good quality
1 package of linguine
Really big stockpot
Optional additions:
cream
curry
second package of pasta
Get all your ingredients prepped to go prior to starting. Melt the butter over medium heat, watching closely; add chicken skin and meat side down to brown. (You may wish to do this in batches) After all the chicken is browned, not cooked through, remove and reserve to a platter.
Add all those like sized rough chopped veggies and sauteé until translucent about 25- 30 minutes. Season with spices including salt and pepper continue cooking another 5 minutes until the scent from the spices lofts up and surrounds you. (this is where the nurturing and cultivating comes in)
Add the chicken back into the pot and allow to mingle for about 3 minutes, and then add the good quality chicken broth. Bring to a short boil and turn the heat down to a simmer for another 25 minutes.
Remove Chicken. Allow to cool. Add the pasta cook until al dente if need be, add water* Once cooled de skin and de bone. Rough chop into good size chunks, about 1.5 inches. This soup is rustic and you should see all the vegetable and chicken together with the pasta.
Add the chicken back in, adjust the seasoning to taste and serve. **
*Now lets talk about the liquid in the soup. If you let the liquid reduce after cooking the noodles the broth created mixes with the starch of the pasta and thickens the soup evolving into a sublime pasta dish. Add the second package of pasta.
** This would be a great time to add the above-mentioned optional items such as cream or curry or both. No I don’t have exact measurement for these optional add on’s, but really cream and curry are subjective to this particular recipe
It can be doubled, definitely should be frozen, and hopefully enjoyed! Here’s a tip, make this prior to flu and cold season in your area, freeze it. Then if you or your family catches something you will be stocked up and ready!
So in closing, you have a potential for five similar dishes from one primordial chicken soup recipe. Primordial Pasta, Crème de le Primordial Chicken Soup, Curried Chicken Soup, Cream of Chicken Curry Soup and the basis of all above elixirs, Primordial Chicken Soup. Happy New Year!
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