Molly's favourite chicken soup

3 servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
5poundsChicken, quartered
2Chicken Feet or
4Chicken Wings or
1Turkey Wing
3Cloves Garlic, bruised
1mediumOnion, peeled
4Carrots, peeled and cut up
4Stalks Celery cut up
½bunchParsley, tied with string
1Bay Leaf
teaspoonSalt
½teaspoonBlack Peppercorns
Ground Pepper
4quartsWater

Directions

Pour water into a large pot. Add the chicken, and chicken feet, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, parsley, bay leaf, salt and peppercorns, and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours, using a spoon to skim the fat from the soup as thoroughly as possible. Cool.

Strain the soup. Discard the onion, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns, and set the other vegetablees aside. Skin the chicken and remove the meat from the bones. Return the chicken meat, carrots, celery, garlic cloves and broth to the pot and bring back to a simmer, seasoning with additional salt or pepper to taste.

Serve the soup in big bowls, over pastina, rice or spaghettini.

This soup's curative powers are released only when the vegetables are mashed together in the bowl. Use a fork for mashing. Use a big spoon for eating. Makes 3 quarts.

From "Cold Spaghetti at Midnight," by Maggie Waldron Source: Medford Mail Tribune, 30 November 1993