But, that's not really what I wanted to talk about. Instead, since Passover is ending, I thought I'd write about my favorite part of the holiday. That's right, it's chicken.
Passover, to me, is great because I'm usually convinced that it's coming marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. However, as far back as I can remember, it's always been a bit chilly by the time the holiday starts, which is perfect weather for...CHICKEN SOUP.
Oh man, I can not tell you how happy I am when I walk into the kitchen and smell mom's chicken soup. It doesn't matter what time of year it is, that soup makes me one happy camper. It's cliche, I know, but my mom really does make the best chicken soup. It is just so...so...so perfect! Added bonus: the greatness of the chicken soup making process is more than just the soup; it also results in the perfect chicken salad.
Now, mom's recipe uses parsnips, which I haven't been able to find here. Sure, they have Jerusalem Artichokes out the wazoo, but no parsnips! Unfortunately, I think that the parsnips are the key ingredient in mom's soup. So, this year I decided to try my hand at making up a chicken soup recipe. In actuality, chicken soup is pretty hard to mess up--the key is getting the right chicken.
I should note that this recipe makes a stock, not a broth. The difference is that stocks tend to be cloudier and richer than broths. They also become jellied when cooled, a result of using chicken bones--the key ingredient in making a stock--which release gelatin. I've made this twice since I've been here, once to make a bunch of stock for freezing [they only have bullion here, blech] and the second time for Matzo Ball Soup. I planned to save some of the latter as stock, but that definitely didn't happen. It was just way too good not to consume.
This year I also made my own matzo balls [I had to make my own matzo meal since I didn't have any...I'm just lucky Yvonne brought me some matzo from Amsterdam. And let me tell you, that was some really good matzo. No joke.]. Last year's homemade matzo ball making was a bit disastrous, resulting in some cannonballs. This year, though, they come out just right...and were almost as easy to make as the Manischewitz mix!
I must say, it was an overall very successful year for Chicken Matzo Ball Soup in my house.
But wait! There's more!
From chicken soup making you end up with some wonderfully tender cooked chicken. I always save some to put back in the soup but use the rest for chicken salad. Now, proper chicken, tuna and egg salad recipes are always a source of much contention amongst eaters and are a very personal thing.
My chicken salad? Well, I'm not a mayo person but I like my chicken salad to be held together. Consequently, I use a nice mix of mayo and mustard...just enough to bring it together. The mustard also imparts a nice subtle flavor to the salad. I'm also all about texture, so nuts, crunchy vegetables like celery or crisp lettuce, dried fruits, fresh fruits, and fresh herbs are a must. Altogether, it makes for a slightly sweet and interesting attack on the taste buds. Perfect alone or as a sandwich.
I could honestly subsist on these two foods for the duration of Passover. The chicken soup is especially good because of it's evolution of flavor, making it a nice little gifty to my mouth on the last day.
If you've made it this far, it means you might be as obsessed with the spring chickens as I am. So, for all you kids who can sympathize with me, I'm here giving you my spring chicken tips and recipes.
A few chicken soup tips:
1. People have always told me to pick older chickens for stock because they impart more flavor. Well, all I know is that I got a couple of random whole chickens from the grocery store around the corner and have ended up with some of the best stock I have ever made. No idea if they were old chickens, kinda doubtful. So, basically, I personally think you can get away with any age chicken.
2. Be very careful with SALT. I generally don't add it to the soup until the cooking and fat skimming processes have been completed. The stock usually gets saltier over a few days as more soup is eaten and the flavors concentrate. It's the perfect food for a week--the soup is great on the first day, but by the seventh day it's frickin' out-of-this-world.
3. Try to make the soup a day or two in advance of consuming. That gives you time to cool the soup and skim off the separated fat, allowing the chicken soup flavor to shine on through. If you can't, you can't. One alternate suggestion is to take a dry paper towel and run the edge over the top of the soup--this picks up a significant portion of the fat without losing much of the soup.
4. Making the soup to use as stock is great. I usually measure it out in cup increments and freeze it in individual ziploc bags or in smaller quantities in ice cube trays. Just put it in a pot over low heat to defrost when you're ready to use it. If you don't need the whole cup you can put the leftover in a tupperware and save it in the fridge for about a week. Use it for rice or something.
5. Let It Go. Just let it simmer for hours on end. As long as you can. Just add more water if it looks like the level is getting too low. I usually put it on in the morning and let it go until the evening, bubbling away and making my house smell like a dream castle.
6. DON'T POUR IT DOWN THE DRAIN. Every year mom reminds me of this fact. When you are separating the chicken and the liquid, make sure you have a second bowl under the sieve...or you'll end up saving the chicken but pouring the soup down the drain. I guess mom did this once, probably ruining our lives for the week as a result.
Ayla's First Chicken Soup
1 3-4lb whole chicken [giblets removed] or an equal weight of chicken pieces [with skin and bone]
1 gallon water, more as necessary
6 or 7 whole carrots
2 medium onions, cut in quarters with skin on
3 or 4 stalks celery, cut in thirds
2 medium-to-large tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 handful fresh dill
1 handful fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1.5 large pinches dried rosemary, coriander seeds, thyme, oregano, whole peppercorns
3-4 whole cloves
salt and pepper, to taste
1. place the chicken in a large 8-10 qt. pot and cover with cold water. bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes.
2. add everything else. simmer forever...or at least 3-4 hours. it will become a beautiful golden yellow and you'll be able to smell it throughout the house. add more water if it reduces significantly.
3. when you feel the soup is done, get two bowls. line a sieve with cheesecloth and pour soup through the sieve. bring the ends of the cheesecloth together tightly to extract all the delicious golden liquid. place the leftover chicken and vegetables in the second bowl.4. let liquid cool then refrigerate. when the fat solidifies [you'll notice the layer], skim it off.
5. add back some of the leftover chicken and vegetables if you want.6. reheat and eat!
Chicken Salad Greatness
This one is all about how you like your proportions. But, i'll give you the basic ingredient list.
Cooked chicken, shredded [you can use leftovers from dinner, from chicken soup, or you can shred up a store bought rotisserie]
mayo + mustard
coarsely chopped celery
coarsely chopped walnuts
coarsely chopped parsley
coarsely chopped dill
coarsely chopped fresh fruits like grapes [halved or quartered], oranges, or apples
coarsely chopped dried fruits like apricots, dates, peaches, pears and/or whole raisins/currants
salt and pepper
1. mix it up! use more mayo and/or mustard depending on what kind of consistency you are going for.
2. eat on crackers, matzo, or lightly toasted whole grain bread
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