Chicken Soup

DESCRIPTION

With the family suffering with colds or flu, ache and pains, what's called for is some traditional Jewish penicillin. (gildern yoich) Everybody thinks theirs is the best. For me it was my grandmother's, but I never told my mother. The basis of this Gildern Yoich is mostly Russian with some small changes with moving to England.

My worst memory of chicken soup as a child was going to Ridley Road Market in Dalston, East London in 1956. As you entered the market on the left was a stall with live broiler chickens (chickens bred for meat) in small cages, which my grandmother would take quite some time to select a bird, much to the annoyance of the seller. After selection and instructions given we were off to do the rest of the shopping in the Market. I wrongly thought we were taking home a live chicken. On returning the chicken had been dispatched the Kosher way (had the blood drained) and wrapped in newspaper still with all its feathers and internal organs. You could pay extra but my grandmother prefered to do this herself.

Today if you can't find a broiler chicken get a chicken, one that has been fed on corn or failing that any chicken or chicken pieces will do with the skin on. If you remove the skin it won't be the same. You will also need carrots, Hamburg Parsley, (parsley roots) onions, celery, zucchini, fresh garlic, Kosha salt and water. Peel the carrots, and onion. Cut the beef bone to fit pan, cut the vegetables into chunks, not too small. Further information below.

You can eat it plain or tradition with Matzo balls and vegetables, or with pieces of chicken and vegetables with thin Lokshen (noodles)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1: broiler chicken or chicken fed on corn or a mix of chicken pieces with skin-on

• 1: beef bone (ask your butcher he may even cut it for you)

• 6: carrots peeled and cut in half

• 1: zucchini

• 1: fresh garlic clove

• 2: large onions halved

• 1: bunch dill washed

• 1: bunch parsley washed

• 3: Hamburg Parsley (parsley roots) peeled and cut in half if large

• dash white pepper

• Kosher Salt

Instructions:

1. Peel the carrots and onions. Leave the peel on the zucchini as this would fall apart.

2. Cut the rest of the vegetables into chunks, not too small.

3. Cut the beef bone into small sections.

4. Put all ingredients in the pot and cover with cold water, bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, turn it down to a very low simmer, and cook for 4 hours, then remove the chicken and roast in oven 180 deg C till golden when needed. (The longer it simmers with the vegetables and beef bone, the better the soup will be. You can even cook it longer.)

5. remove the scum as it forms until clear. help the bone marrow out with the back of a spoon.

6. After min 4 hours allow to cool. For a clear broth, pour through a cheesecloth. remove the beef bones their job is done with the boiled vegetables you could make a nice soup with some of the chicken broth.

7. Refrigerate the soup overnight. The shmaltz will rise to the top and harden, so it can be easily removed. Don't discard, save this for your matzo balls or even spreading on Matzo (unleavened bread) or bread.

8. After you remove the shmaltz (yellowish poultry fat), reheat and serve the soup with Matzo balls and vegetables, or with the chicken and vegetables, plus thin Lokshen (noodles).

Some people have the understanding that a broiler chicken is an old hen that is past her best egg laying days so is quite tuff and need to be boiled quite some time. This would be further than the truth. A broiler chicken is bred for eating so would have more meat and be a plumper chicken.

"I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem."