Chicken Soup

Paul Briand

So, after rooting around for a Chicken Soup recipe that I could try to keep my cold at bay, I decided I'd just give it a go on my own.

How difficult could it be?

Chicken, chicken stock, carrots, celery, spices and some noodles. What could go wrong?

Actually, my recipe was going along like gang busters -- great texture, richness of flavor with the help of some shallots and a splash of sherry. But then I made a fatal, rookie mistake. I used egg noodles, which turned my steamy broth into a thick, stew-like concoction. It became so thick that to make individual servings I had to cut it down with additional chicken stock.

Ingredients

Roasted whole store-bought chicken

1 pound baby cut carrots

2 1/2 cups celery, sliced

2 shallots, chopped

32 ounces low-sodium chicken stock

Oregano, parsley, salt and pepper to taste

2 cups water

Directions

1. Strip the chicken of all the meat, discarding the skin and fat. Set meat aside;

2. In the 2 cups of water in a large pot, bring the chicken carcass to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, using a fork to strip away left over meat;

3. Remove the carcass and preserve the broth, using a strainer to remove any leftover bones and a spoon to skim away the fat;

4. Add the carrots, celery and shallots to the broth and simmer at a medium heat for 10 minutes;

5. Add the chicken to the broth and stir;

6. Add the chicken stock and spices to the broth and stir;

7. Let the chicken simmer another 10 minutes;

8. Fill a soup bowl, add a splash of sherry and serve.

My original idea was to add the noodles during the cooking process to create a Chicken Noodle Soup, but it was a mistake to use the egg noodles. They should have been cooked separately and added separately. Or I should have used noodles that didn't produce as much starch.