Chicken Noodle Soup

Hacking and whacking a chicken into pieces is a great way to release pent-up tension. The bonus is when all that hacking and whacking leads to chicken stock, and even moreso when there's a natural progression to chicken noodle soup.

I eat a lot of soup-- it's an easy lunch, and during the winter, it's a comfort.  Add a piece of toast or a grilled cheese sandwich and you've pretty much got me hooked. The only problem is that despite my adoration of soup and it's cousin stew, I don't make it often enough. This means I resort to a canned, oversalted version that still gives ease when it comes to packing a lunch quickly but certainly gives up a lot of flavor in return.

The answer?  Bite the bullet and cleave the chicken.

First, I make stock. Then, that stock turns into soup.  Then, that soup goes into my mouth and I'm ridiculously satisfied.

This recipe is adapted from Cook's Illustrated The Best Recipe.

Chicken Noodle Soup 

Stock

Tools: heavy cleaver, very sharp chef's knife, kitchen scissors, large bowl, plate, large stock or soup pot, cutting board, measuring cups and spoons, strainer

Ingredients: one whole chicken (4-5 lbs), 2 quarts boiling water, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 medium onion at medium dice, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 celery rib with leaves, 3 medium or 2 large bay leaves

Okay, so, hacking a chicken up the first time can be kind of tough.  I know the first time I did it, I was grossed out and decidedly not very good at it.

But the key is practice.  First, I had to get over my fear of the raw chicken. So what if it looks like a skinless, headless, baby?  Put that thought aside and concentrate on what matters: it will be delicious! It's waaaay more economical!  It's not like I have to behead and pluck the thing, so break out the knives and have at it!

I've used a few different books to guide me through the dismemberment of a chicken body, but they all boil down to the same thing: find the weak spots and use them to your advantage.

When making chicken stock, the most flavor can be extracted when the bones are cut into smaller pieces.  According to the editors of Cook's Illustrated, this allows chicken pieces to "release their flavorful juices in a short period of time."  

This guy demonstrates it with ease:

I'm totally not that skilled. (Again, practice!)  

Once you have your chicken separated into parts, you'll want to break out the meat cleaver and hack everything but the breasts into smaller pieces.  Start with the back, cleaving it into three or four sections, then cut those sections again into halves.  Cut the wing at each joint, leave the tip intact and hack the other two pieces into halves.  The thigh and leg bones can be hacked into three or four pieces each.  Now, it's time to bust out the stock.  

In your stock/soup pot, heat the oil over a medium flame or heat setting until it gives off that familar shimmer and starts to let out wisps of smoke.  Add the chicken breasts and gently sautee them on each side. 

 

Remove the breasts and set them aside.

Add the onions and sautee until softened, about four or five minutes.  

Remove the onions to the large bowl.  Add 1/3 of the chicken pieces to the pot and cook them until there's no longer any pink.  Repeat with the rest of the chicken peices.  Once everything is sauteed, add all the pieces (except the breasts), the celery rib with leaves, and the onion back to the pot.  Reduce heat to low and cover that pot.  Simmer until the juices are released and your kitchen starts to smell a little ridiculous.  While the peices are simmering, you should bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.

     

Add the water, salt, bay leaves and chicken breasts to the pot.

Cover and simmer for another 20-25 minutes until the chicken breasts are cooked through.  Remove the breasts and set aside.  Strain the stock into a large bowl or other container and discard the peices and parts.  

Skim the fat from the stock.  Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and shred into pieces.

Oh, snap-- you just made ridiculously divine stock-- now, what to do with those breasts?

Why, make chicken noodle soup of course.

Tools: Measuring cups/spoons, cutting board, sharp knife, peeler, soup pot (you can use the same pot), wooden spoon or spatula

Ingredients:  2 tablespoons chicken fat or vegetable oil, 1 medium onion cut into a medium dice, 2-3 large carrots (or 1 cup of baby carrots) peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds, 2-3 celery ribs cut into 1/4 inch slices, 1 recipe (2 quarts) of chicken stock + the shredded chicken breasts; 2 cups of wide egg noodles, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 cup of fresh parsley (or 1.5 tablespoons dried parsley flakes) ground pepper & salt to taste

Heat the fat or oil in the stock pan over medium heat.  When it's ready, add the onion, carrot and celery and saute for about 5 or six minutes until it's soft and slightly coloring.

Add the thyme and stir.  Add the shredded chicken and stir.  Add the stock and simmer for about 15 minutes to let the flavors get cozy with one another.  

      

Add the noodles and cook for about five minutes, until they are starting to tender.  Add the parsley, and then salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a grilled cheese sammich (made with whole wheat bread) and enjoy heaven in your mouth.

This makes about 8 portions.  We usually have one bowl the first night and then I package up the rest in individual servings for lunches and maybe even a quick dinner the next night.