CHICKEN SOUP WITH CORN (Pennsylvania Dutch, for six)
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For the stock:
a whole roasted chicken carcass, meat removed and reserved
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon saffron
For the soup:
8 cups chicken stock
3 cups cooked chicken meat reserved from the stock
4 ounces egg noodles
2 cups fresh corn, cut from the cob
freshly ground black pepper
chopped parsley
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1. Combine the chicken or bones and scraps in a stockpot with salt and water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface of the stock.
2. Add the saffron to the stock and simmer, partly covered, for 1-1/2 hours or more. Strain through a sieve into a bowl and discard the solids. Degrease the stock.
3. Bring the stock back to a boil in the stockpot and cook for 10 minutes to concentrate the flavor. Taste carefully for seasoning.
3. Return the meat to the stock, add the noodles and cook until they are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add the corn and cook 3 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with chopped parsley and chopped egg.
from Craig Claiborne, The New York Times Cookbook
NOTES:
- If you want to make the soup with an uncooked chicken: Rinse the uncooked bird under cold tap water, remove any excess fat and and any giblets stashed in the cavity, and place the chicken in a pot with 1 tablespoon salt and water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken from the pot to a plate (reserve the stock) and set it aside until it is cool enough to handle. Discard the skin, remove the meat from the bones and shred the meat. Once the meat has cooled completely, cover and refrigerate it until you’re ready to finish the soup. Return the bones to the pot and continue with the recipe at step 2.
- If your leftover chicken carcass doesn’t have enough meat on it to finish the soup: Buy 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts from your grocery, salt them and add them to the degreased stock in step 2. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and poach the chicken until the juices run clear, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a plate to cool, then shred it. Proceed with step 3.