After four days of suffering (though to be fair, I think my wife suffered more than I did, having to put up with my constant whining and groaning) through a nasty cold, I got fed up and made myself a chicken consommé, a recipe I’ve been slowly adapting from the Jamie Oliver original.
Preparation
1. Take out a big stock pot and add your celery, carrots, bacon and whole chicken. Fill with water until you cover the chicken comfortably. You’ll want enough water ensure the chicken stays covered after all the evaporation – approx. 2 inches.
2. Bring the water to a bowl. Turn the heat down and simmer for about an hour or so. Foam will accumulate at the top. Skim it off every once in a while to keep a clear liquid.
3. When there’s about 5 minutes left, add Rosemary and white parts of the green onions.
4. Remove the chicken, and let it cool enough that you can handle it. When cooled, cut it into pieces. I usually cut of the breasts, and legs and set aside for use later in the week. Shred the thighs (or any part of the chicken, depending on the number of sertvings) and add to your serving bowl(s).
5. Ladle the soup through a fine sieve into each bowl. Be gentle with this, you don’t want to disrupt the broth too much. Ideally, you end up with a clear liquid with beautiful beads.
6. Garnish with fresh sprigs of rosemary and green onion tops. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
7. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could dry some rosemary in a toaster oven or oven while the chicken is cooking. (lay the sprigs on a pan, and cook at a low temperature – 200F until the sprigs are dry and crunchy). When you’re reading to serve, light the rosemary in each bowl with a match/lighter and you’ll get a therapeutic smoke when serving the dish. It’s fun and smells great!
