I taught (substitute teacher) first grade here in Kent a few weeks ago, and, as usual, came home with a cold. Those beautiful, sweet kids seem to be a breeding ground for cold germs just laying in wait for me. I don’t know how the regular teachers manage to stay healthy.
So I came home and went to my freezer to find the chicken soup I had made some time ago. The hot soup and a Matzoh ball brought me back to life! This comfort soup is amazing and I always keep several portions in my freezer to give to my ailing friends who need that special pick-me-up that only chicken soup can accomplish.
After many requests and with some reluctance to reveal my secret recipe, this post is for my special treatment of an old Jewish dish. It’s a perfect soup for winter nights and seems to really help when you’re down with a cold or just down in spirits. It has been called “Jewish penicillin” by some, and also lifts your spirits as you smell and taste this old, proven recipe.
Before beginning, here are some hints for full enjoyment of cooking and eating.
First, be flexible when it comes to ingredients. You might want to add (or substitute) things like cabbage, leeks or other vegetables. Second, I use a whole chicken because my wife prefers white meat, but legs and thighs with their sweet dark meat are just fine. Third, I use College Inn low-fat chicken broth (instead of water) which results in a much richer soup. Fourth, true Matzoh balls are made with chicken fat, but I use vegetable oil as a nod to my cholesterol challenged friends. Fifth, remove all exposed fat from the chicken and cut most of the skin off, leaving just enough for flavor. Sixth, make enough to freeze as it will stay in your freezer for months and it tastes even better when defrosted and heated.
One last point is to serve the soup very hot and give your nose a chance to enjoy the soup, too.
Ingredients
1 2 ½ - 3 ½ lb whole chicken cup up (or parts equal to 3 lbs)
4 stalks celery (include tops) coarsely chopped
5 carrots – peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 medium onions – peeled and quartered
3-4 parsnips – peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2-3 medium turnips – cut into 1-inch chunks
1 “Bouquet garni” – prepare by taking 3-4 sprigs parsley, 1-2 bay leaves, 6-8 peppercorns and wrap these ingredients in cheesecloth, tie with string and put into pot
3 quarts chicken stock
1 tsp. salt
Preparation
Place all ingredients in a large pot. Cover with chicken stock (3 quarts). Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for one hour.
Remove chicken parts with slotted spoon, set aside to cool, and continue to simmer stock and cook the vegetables for another hour to hour and a half. When chicken has cooled, tear the meat into small, bite size pieces and return this to pot for last few minutes.
Set a colander over a large bowl and pour contents of pot into the colander to separate the stock from chicken and vegetables. Remove Bouquet Garni and discard. Put vegetables and chicken in a container, cool, and refrigerate overnight.
Cool the stock. In the winter, I put mine right on my screened-in porch. When cooled, refrigerate overnight. The remaining fat will rise to the surface and congeal. It will be easy to remove the next day by scraping it off. Discard chicken fat, unless you intend to use it in the Matzoh balls.
Combine de-fatted stock, vegetables and heat. If you are adding Matzoh balls, be sure to heat them in the soup so they absorb some of the flavor.
Matzoh Balls, Optional
Some say the soup is perfect as is, but I prefer to add a Matzoh ball to each portion.
Ingredients
2 eggs
2 tbsp. vegetable oil (or rendered chicken fat, if you dare)
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 cup Matzoh meal
2 tbsp. chicken stock or water or club soda
Mix eggs, oil, salt, nutmeg and Matzoh meal together. Add 2 tbsp. stock (or water or club soda). Mix and refrigerate for one half hour.
Wet your hands and form balls that are approximately one inch in diameter. I use a small cookie scoop. Roll the ball gently in your wet hands and drop it into two quarts of boiling water. Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add the cooked Matzoh ball to the soup.
Every family has its favorite version of this recipe. Give mine a try and see if it doesn’t become your favorite.
