BELGIAN CHICKEN SOUP
Serves 8
Ingredients
• 3 carrots
• 1 beef shank bone
• 3 1/4 pound chicken
• 2 leeks, trimmed and rinsed well
• bunch of celery, including leaves
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• a pinch of dried aromatic herbs
or 1 bouquet garni (1 sprig fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, and 1 sprig fresh parsley tied together in cheesecloth)
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 egg yolks
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• fried bread or toasted bread
• salt and pepper
Directions
Slice 1 carrot. Put the beef bone, chicken, 1 leek, half the celery including the leaves, the sliced carrot, and a pinch of salt into a pan and pour in 10 2/3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, and simmer for 1 hour.
Remove the pan from the heat and strain the stock into a bowl.
Reserve the chicken and, when it is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin, and cut the meat off the bones. Chop the remaining, uncooked carrots, leek, and celery.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in another pan. Add the chopped carrots, leek, and celery and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not colored.
Add the chicken meat and aromatic herbs or bouquet garni and season with a pinch of pepper. Pour in the stock and simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
Melt the butter with the remaining oil in another pan. Stir in the flour, then gradually add 2 1/4 cups of the chicken stock, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Cook for about 8 minutes, then stir back into the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes more.
Lightly beat the egg yolks with the lemon juice in a bowl and then, very slowly to prevent the eggs curdling, stir in a little chicken stock. Pour into the soup and transfer to a soup tureen.
Serve immediately, offering the fried or toasted bread separately.
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