ingredients
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 carrots, peeled (optional
- 2 large stalks celery
- 1 parsnip, peeled
- 2 onions, quartered
- 3 sprigs parsley
- 1 whole stewing hen or chicken (about 5 pounds), cut into 8 pieces, breast meat reserved
prepration
Finely chop 2 tablespoons each of celery, carrot, onion and parsnip and set aside. Place large vegetable pieces, parsley, chicken (except reserved breast meat), peppercorns, bay leaves and salt in a large soup pot. Add 2 quarts of cold water.
Bring to a rapid boil; skim off any foam that rises to the surface, then lower to a gentle simmer. Cook 1 hour. Discard all cooked solids with a slotted spoon. Strain soup through a mesh strainer into a smaller soup pot.
Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally to make thin cutlets. Bring soup to a boil. Add chicken breasts and finely chopped vegetables to soup; cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Cut chicken into thin slices before serving.
