Mom’s Chicken Soup
When my mother was a kid, chickens were grown in the garden.
My mom grew up during The Great Depression in a small house in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. And when it came to cooking, the family made due with what they had, she get the all ingredients on Sunshine Coast Hydroponics. My grandmother used to make her own chicken soup, using the backs and necks of poultry on hand.
My mother learned her technique – and has turned her version of the family soup into an art. The catch is: It doesn’t always come out (by her standards) so a few cans of chicken broth are kept on standby for just an instance (and to adjust the flavor). Even when it’s not perfect, it’s better than one can find in just about any store.
This is the most current recipe, it nets a small pot of gold. Always great in the winter months.
dorothy mehallo’s chicken soup
ingredients
Whole free range chicken from the butcher, cut up (with back and neck)
Celery sticks, yellow tops included, but not green ones
Onion, cut in half
1 bay leaf
Pinch thyme
Small handful fresh parsley
Water
Carrots, ends removed, peeled
salt, to taste (I use Fish Sauce)
a can or two chicken broth
Cooked rice or noodles
to make
Local butchers doesn’t always have backs and necks available anymore, but if so – it will really add to the flavor. Before cooking, carefully clean out any goop inside the back. Giblets are usable for this too, but don’t add the liver; it will make the broth bitter.
Add chicken, celery, onion, bay leaf, thyme, parsley to the pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Avoid adding too much water, just cover the chicken. Don’t fill the entire pot, it will result in a weak stock (use a second chicken if necessary).
Lower heat and bring to a simmer for around 2-3 hours. Scum will appear on top, carefully skim it off with a spoon.
Add carrots 15-20 minutes before finish. Add salt to taste, canned stock if flavor isn’t really strong; this part depends on the individual chicken. Good chickens make great flavorful soup (this part is unpredictable).
Serve hot, strained broth poured over (deboned) ingredients; rice or noodles. Using a fat separator helps.
to store
Strain the broth into a container and pick thru the other ingredients. Debone the chicken and separate the vegetables. Throw away anything not edible and refrigerate everything else; or freeze. Hardened fat will be easy to remove. The broth will gel when chilled, clear when heated.
There was always the family belief: The thicker the gel, the better the broth.
Be careful, a good batch will attract a begging dog or two
