Thursday, February 4, 2010

The Best Ever Chicken Broth Soup

.Photo courtesy of Mixed Greens

I saw this recipe for "The Best Broth Ever" and was intrigued. The addition of a ham hock could only be a good thing so I gave it a shot. I could not agree more that it really did make the best chicken broth ever. I took their recommendation and served it with cheese ravioli (PCC's five cheese ravioli), meat from the ham hock and parmesan. It was such a simple soup in the end (broth, noodle, meat, cheese) but so incredibly good. The broth stole the show.

The Best Ever Chicken Broth Soup

Prepare Stock

Chicken carcass (with a little meat if possible)
Ham hock
2-3 carrots
2-3 celery stalks
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 whole bulb of garlic, cut in half lengthwise
handful of parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 t whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf

Throw everything in a pot and cover with water by an inch or two. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 hours. Remove the ham hock and cut out the little bit of meat you can get your hands on. Store meat in the fridge overnight. Strain stock through a fine mesh sieve two times. Discard the vegetables and bones. Allow to cool before storing in the fridge overnight.

Prepare Soup

Pull soup from fridge and skim off the fat. It may have a gelatin consistency. That is okay. Some say it is the sign of a very good stock. Pour stock into a large pot and bring to a boil. Add ham and raviolis. Reduce heat and simmer until raviolis are cooked. Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

No comments: