Italian Chicken Soup

 
1 hen or chicken

1 carrot. 

1 red onion

1 stock of celery

2 potatoes

water

Chicken soup is made by bringing to a boil and then simmering hen or chicken  in water, with various vegetables and flavorings. The classic Italian chicken soup consists of a clear broth, often served with small pasta,small ravioli or tortellini. 

Chicken soup has also a reputation  for  colds and flus, and  is considered a classic comfort food. Traditionally, chicken soup is prepared using old hens too tough and stringy to be roasted or cooked for a short time.  Old hens are to be preferred ,when available, for soups even if this will take more time to cook
Cook the hen/chicken in abundant( at least 3 liters) water with a pinch of rock salt. Bring to a boil with high flame and then let it simmer. Let it cook for at least a couple of hours if it is a hen , otherwise an hour is usually enough, skimming it  regularly.

Wash and  slice the vegetables. Cook them in  another pot with 2 liters water and a pinch of salt for 40 minutes. When the hen/chicken is cooked ,take it out from the broth and cut in pieces to be served with  pickled, mayonnese ,or with the cooked vegetable or  sauté in a pan with  oil, sage, rosemary  and wine.

Filter the broth through a  canvas to get rid of all the possible fat. Mix the broth with the vegetable broth and let it cook for half an hour.

Now your broth is ready to be  served  with any kind of small soup pastas cooked in it for 10 minutes.

How to prepare Tuscan Stew Chicken

Today we want to suggest you a traditional peasant way of making chicken in Tuscany A very tasteful recipe ,and you may find yourself dipping bread in the gravy until you've finished every drop. In Italy we call it “fare scarpetta”

Pollo alla Toscana

1 chicken

30g dried mushrooms

500 ml tomatoe purèe

3 ladlefuls of stock

½ glass of white wine

4 spoonfuls olive oil

Salt, pepper

Soak the mushrooms in some lukewarm water for about 10 minutes. Peel the tomatoes and cut them into small pieces. Cut the chicken into pieces and place it in a  pan with oil, salt and pepper. Brown over a medium heat. As  soon as the chicken is golden, cover it with the wine, letting it evaporate over a high flame. Add the mushrooms and the purèe. Continue cooking  for about 50 minutes, adding the stock a little at a time.

Suggestion: the  mushrooms  can be substituted with 400g of green, red and yellow peppers.