This is based on the soup my mum used to make. I have a recollection that she in turn learned it from Mrs Peston, who lived in the flats where we lived when I was young, at number 1. When I have exhausted a chicken this is the last thing I almost invariably do with the carcass. This is a light, clear soup which you can tweak to your own taste and a real family favourite. .
You need:
- A chicken carcass – I have normally used nearly all the accessible meat before I resort to making this soup
- Two onions
- Several sticks of celery
- Carrots
- Bouquet garni
- A couple of vermicelli nests
- Herbs and stock cubes to taste
Break up and place chicken carcass in large pot with half an onion, a roughly chopped carrot and stick of celery and bouquet garni. Boil for several hours until remaining meat falls from bones (I put it in the bottom oven of my AGA for about four hours).
Remove from pan and strain juices into new pot to form the basis of a stock. Reduce stock (by about half). When cool enough to handle, remove remaining meat from chicken carcass and put into juices. Add chopped carrot and celery and thinly sliced onion. I sometimes vary this and use some peas or replace carrot with sweet red pepper. Boil for about half and hour until vegetables and tender and season and add herbs to taste. If necessary I would add a stock cube at this point. Ten minutes before serving I add the vermicelli nests, crushing them slightly, so they break up, before I put them in.
