Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

[Tulip]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SueSumba</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i don't like the skin. the feet add more to the stock more than the skin imo. </div></div>

JC, your second official conchee request has been posted.

I was planning to skim off some but not all of the fat. I have never cooked chicken feet but know where to get them. They don't look all that appetizing. Do they have special cleaning instructions?

[johnnycakes]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

I'll post the congee recipe sometime tonight.

Sue Sumba is right that chicken feet add more substance/strength/flavor than does skin but again, I see no need to waste and once the soup is done I fish the skin out and feed it to the raccoons and the blue jays.

You don't have to do anything to the chicken feet available at places that sell them because they clean them I've only seen people cleaning chicken feet inside the roofed market in Sav that's way down the end of Great George Street otherwise I have not ever dealt with chicken foot that is just chopped.
You can just toss the feet into the soup pot.

The Chinese meat restaurants make and sell stewed chicken feet (and duck feet) that are really good as long as you're the kind of person that doesn't mind or likes spitting small bones and doing a lot chewing and cleaning of the bones with your mouth.
if you like chicken neck you should like the (Chinese) stewed chicken or duck feet.

Probably 99% of Americans wouldn't think of eating chicken feet

My wife was standing in line at a Chinese supermarket waiting to get me some chicken feet and when it was her turn she ordered the chicken feet and the surprised Chinese woman behind her in line said in a very loud voice: &quot;You like chicken feet????&quot; evidently never having seen lo fan (white people ) order them.

[Tulip]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

Sue and JC, these feet come in a plastic bag from the farmer's market. Just looking at them, I think they have toenails. Do I need to try to get them off first?

I am truly chicken feet prep ignorant.

[Tulip]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

In retrospect, I'm not going to be able to work with the feet, While I'd be willing to give it a taste, I don't foresee &quot;handling&quot; it.

[johnnycakes]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

Tulip,

You can chop off the toenails with your cleaver if they offend you but although they are considered the best part of the chicken for making soup, you can do fine without them.

Here's the recipe for congee also called jook (pronounced con-jee and jook like took)

ingredients: 1 cup long grained white rice
12 cups water
1 lb of chicken bones or pork neck bones or a combination of both
or a whole broiler cut up.
a couple of slices of ginger
2 eggs (beaten)
Sesame oil
tspn of vinegar
1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce (optional)
2 chopped scallion

You can make this two ways: The first as the original recipe has it which is :

Put the rice in a 6-qt pot, add water, bones/chicken. Bring it to a boil then simmer on low for 2 hours, stirring as needed and depending on your stove so the rice doesn't stick.
If you goof and come back and find the rice has stuck to the bottom of the pot, shut off the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes and the stuck rice will loosen and you can mix it back in to the rest and bring the pot back to a simmer.

After the two hours, the porridge is not finished but the chicken/pork will have done its job and needs to be removed.

If you've used a whole chicken, you can do two different things at this point depending on how you like your porridge/soup.

If you like it smooth and easier to eat remove the chicken and strip off all the meat and put it in the fridge to put back into the porridge when its done.

If you're like me and like /don't mind bones you can throw all the bones and skin back into the pot and continue cooking for another hour or so or until the porridge is as thick as you like it. This readdition of the bones and skin will strengthen the chicken flavor. The skin mostly dissolves and at the end you can fish out the larger bones but you will be left with the very small bones to pick out as you eat the soup.

At this point have the congee lightly bubbling and slowly pour in the beaten eggs in a thin stream covering the surface with the thin streams. Let it sit for a minute and then whisk the egg in little blossoms throughout the congee. Too soon and you don't get little pieces and it just blends in which is fine but the esthetic of the small golden pieces of egg is what is desired.
Wait too long and the eggs will be in pieces too big but which can be chopped up. You just don't want to add work. The eggs add a considerable taste and richness to the congee

When the porridge is done take out the amount you want to eat right then, put into another pot and add bite sized pieces of the chicken you put in the fridge and whatever veg you'd like with it. You can add snow pea pods, bok choy (Pap chow), Chinese broccoli, callalloo, bamboo shoot, water chestnut, mustard green, green beans (pre-cooked), black mushrooms (Chinese) regular mushroom slices etc etc.
just about anything that you'd want in a chicken soup.

OR...you can put cooked fish in it, or Chinese sausage, conch, chopped roast duck, pork.

It's really versatile.

okay you've put the portion you wanted in the next pot. If you have bok choy or other veg that needs cooking a short time , put it in the porridge and cook it on low until it's where you want it, then add the chicken, meat or cooked fish to warm up
Put into bowls and top with a swirl of sesame oil and chopped scallion and you're good to go.

Salt and pepper to taste or use soy sauce and black pepper.

Freeze the rest in serving sizes but without any of the chicken or veg. That way you can add in what you want when you have things to use like leftover fish, pork, chicken and it makes a nice quick meal when you're in a rush


If it just isn't chickeny enough (it should be) add bouillon until it gets there.

The Chinese eat plain congee for breakfast and have it with the additions for lunch or dinner.

Any other questions? problems with ingredients?
Let me know.

[Suesumba]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

trim the nails off the chicken feet. they have lots of gelatin, so it will make your stock richer. you don't have to use the flesh off the skin unless you're a real glutten <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Click to reveal.. <input type="button" class="form-button" value="Show me!" onclick="toggle_spoiler(this, 'Yikes, my eyes!', 'Show me!')" /></div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div style="display: none;"> for punishment</div></div></div>

[Tulip]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

I ain't screwing with them claws. I'm a bit repulsed. I have no doubt it makes a fine stock. but I don't want to participate.

The conjee recipe sounds good and relatively easy.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: johnnycakes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Greek egg lemon soup is another good one. </div></div>
I love avgolemono soup!

<span style="text-decoration: underline">Greek Avgolemono Soup</span> (Chicken Lemon Soup)

Put a whole 3-lb chicken in a stockpot with enough water to cover one inch over the bird. Include the neck if you have it. Bring to a boil; Cover and simmer for an hour or until the meat pulls from the bones easily, skimming the fat as necessary.

Remove chicken and bones from the soup. Season broth with salt and black pepper. Add 3/4 cup of uncooked white rice and simmer 'till soft. (about 25 minutes)

Put the juice of 2 to 3 large lemons and 3 beaten large eggs into a large, add a ladleful of the broth into the egg/lemon mixture, whisking to prevent the eggs from curdling. Continue to add hot soup, one ladleful at a time, whisking it, until you have about two cups of soup mixture. Then return this mixture back into the soup pot, whisking the whole time. The soup should be creamy and cloudy-looking - not curdled.

Taste and correct for seasoning with additional salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Cut up the chicken meat, and add back into the soup pot.

Serve piping hot with slices of lemon on the side. (to squeeze more lemon juice into the soup, to taste, right before eating)

[johnnycakes]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

Thanks for the recipe Witchy,

Avgolemono translates as EGG (avgo) lemon (lemono).

I think it is important to include &quot;egg&quot; in the name of this soup because the richness that the eggs impart to this soup is so very central to the flavor and it greatly differentiates this soup from regular brothy chickens soups like the Chinese and Jewish types.

Egg are also a central flavor ingredient in Chinese rice porridge and the more popular Chinese Egg Drop soup .

[Gen]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

Pos se lene ? Since we deh pan a Greek tip

this whole thread getting out of control with the chicken toenails and all

Tulip when you get the whole chickens you can just quarter it for easier handling/cooking time if you want. Don't forget yuh spinners

I feel for some real Jamaican chicken soup now

[Tulip]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

Thanks for the recipe Witchy. I have no shortage of chickens to work with in the deep freezer now.

I first got the taste for this flavor when I tried dolmathes with avgolemono sauce in a Greek restaurant. It was soooo tasty that I was like you didn't bring me but 4 of these grape leaf wraps? Suffice it to say I really like the flavor. I'll definitely give your recipe a try.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: johnnycakes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for the recipe Witchy,

Avgolemono translates as EGG (avgo) lemon (lemono).

I think it is important to include &quot;egg&quot; in the name of this soup because the richness that the eggs impart to this soup is so very central to the flavor and it greatly differentiates this soup from regular brothy chickens soups like the Chinese and Jewish types.

Egg are also a central flavor ingredient in Chinese rice porridge and the more popular Chinese Egg Drop soup . </div></div>
You're right about the translation... and, IMO, about the importance of the eggs, too.

The Greeks I know just refer to avgolemono soup as &quot;chicken soup&quot; amongst themselves, and as &quot;Greek chicken soup&quot; amongst non-Greeks, though. lol


My family's &quot;Jewish Penicillin&quot; (Chicken Soup) recipe includes a yam cut in half, for the flavor and added richness of the both, for nutrition, and for the deep color the cut yam imparts to the otherwise light chicken broth. The recipe is a standard Eastern Jewish chicken soup recipe, other than the yam deviation... if you want it, just ask - you're welcome to it, it's no secret.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

You're so welcome!

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tulip</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for the recipe Witchy. I have no shortage of chickens to work with in the deep freezer now. </div></div>
I'll give you the standard Jewish chicken soup recipe, then... and my family's variant on that recipe.

<span style="text-decoration: underline">Jewish Chicken Soup</span>

Put a whole chicken into a stock pot, and cover an couple of inches over with water. Add some dill weed (a handful or so of fresh), salt and black pepper, and some smashed garlic (a few cloves). Skim the fat off as necessary. Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour.
[My family adds one yam, cut in half, cut sides down, into the soup pot here.]

Add some sliced carrots and celery. (half a dozen carrots and about the same number of ribs of celery) Simmer for another half an hour.

Remove the chicken and bones from the soup. Set aside. Taste soup and correct - if necessary - for seasoning.
[The yam is removed and discarded.]

Shred the chicken meat and return it to the soup.

If you want <span style="font-style: italic">kreplach</span> (dumplings) or <span style="font-style: italic">kneidelach</span> (matzoh balls) and/or thin egg noodles, make them and add the into the soup for the last half hour to forty-five minutes of cooking. You can buy box mixes for either - and the thin egg noodles - in most larger grocery stores, in the Kosher section.
Or, you could do as I've done, and just made Jamaican spinners... dwl (my family loves 'em)

Most Sabbath or holiday Jewish chicken soups have <span style="font-style: italic">kneidelach</span> (matzoh balls) and thin egg noodles in it.




<span style="text-decoration: underline">Pronunciation Note</span>: the final sound of the words <span style="font-style: italic">kreplach</span> and <span style="font-style: italic">kneidelach</span> are the gutteral German sound found in the middle of the word &quot;achtung&quot;.

[Tulip]

Re: Chicken soup with whole chicken recipe

Wow Witcthy. You working things out. More carrots than I would normally use has turned out to be a hit.