Smoked chicken soup

Eric

Smoked chicken soup[p]One of my fall winter favorites. So easy![p]
THE STOCK
-Light BGE.[p]-Chop veggies for stock; I use celery, carrots, onions garlic and cabbage. [p]Add 1-2 tbs of EVO to stock pot and add veggies, let them cook down for about 10 min while BGE comes up to temp. Salt, pepper, other spices to personal pref.[p]-Prep chicken, I Spathcock mine after I brine it.[p]-Put Chicken on BGE and cook as normal for Spathcock.[p]-Add water to stock pot bring to boil (sorry for no specific measurements, I just wing it), keep it at a low boil while chicken cooks in BGE.[p]-When Chicken is done remove from BGE. I de-bone the chicken and serve the meat on a platter.[p]Skin and bones go into the stock pot. Boil for an hour or two. Skim any “scum” that forms on top.[p]After stock is cool I pour it though a strainer into storage containers and refrigerate. Any fat will float to top and can be skimmed off[p]Store in freezer or fridge, I don’t now how long it will last b/c we always use it up w/I about a week of making it.[p]
The Soup
In a medium pot, add EVO and heat over low flame, add 2 cloves of crushed garlic, let then slowly cook- don’t use high heat or they will burn. Remove and set aside.[p]In same pot w/EVO cover bottom of pot w/ Fidelini pasta (also known as Fideo, I use the Goya Brand and you can find it in the Mexican/international area of almost all major groceries). Brown the pasta in the pan –doesn’t take long and every piece doesn’t have to be uniform.[p]Add smoked chicken stock bring to boil. Boil for apx 5-7 min to cook pasta.[p]Puree garlic and add to soup.[p]Beat one egg and slowly pour it into soup as you stir the soup. Egg will cook instantly and create a cloudy effect to the soup giving it body. Season to taste w/ favorite spice. I add a drop or two of hot sauce to mine. [p]Serve. If I ever have any chicken meat left over I’ll add it in but the chicken is always eaten the night I cook it.[p]Variations- My wife likes to throw in a hand full of mixed frozen veggies; or you can toast flour or corn tortillas strips in the EVO, remove, cook as normal then add the tortillas, some canned jalapenos, some Monterey jack cheese and a squeeze of lime to make tortilla soup[p]It takes about 10 Min to make a bowl of soup, just a little longer than opening a can, and you control what goes into the soup, no chemicals, gung or other mystery ingredients.[p]Enjoy.[p]IF you visit New Orleans Check out our Bed and Breakfast- It is BGE friendly

[ul][li]Bohemianarmadillo B&B New Orleans[/ul]

Nature Boy

Eric,
Thanks for posting that. That looks really good![p]Can you elaborate on the browning of the pasta:
"In same pot w/EVO cover bottom of pot w/ Fidelini pasta (also known as Fideo, I use the Goya Brand and you can find it in the Mexican/international area of almost all major groceries). Brown the pasta in the pan –doesn’t take long and every piece doesn’t have to be uniform."[p]Never browned pasta. Is it a hard dry pasta? Or a cooked soft pasta that you brown? [p]Appreciate it! BTW, your B&B looks like a cool fun place. Will stop by if I get down your way!
Chris

Eric

Nature Boy,
[p]Pasta is hard and dry, it is about 1/4 inch in length very thin. I just pour enough to cover the bottom of the pot and over low to med heat I stir w/ a wooden spoon. The pasta will change from a golden hue to a brownish hue. Only takes a few moments [p]Not an exact science by any means. Then just add the stock to the pot. Simple.[p]Thanks for taking a look at the B&B! Hope to see you here in the Big Easy[p]Eric

Eric

Oops, forgot to say that I take the back bone from the Spathcocked chicken and toss it in the stock so that I get 100% of all the chickenie goodness in the stock.[p]Eric

Unknown

Eric, sounds like I do my rice and my wife says it's the most fool proof rice ever - perfect everytime.

Nature Boy

Chet,
You brown your rice in oil before cooking? Then add it to a pot of broth?
Now ya got me curious!
Chris

Eric

Nature Boy,[p]I picked up the browning pasta from a book on Spanish cooking andhave used it a lot.[p]My father in law browns his rice b/f cooking it, it comes out great. Low heat and a good stir every 1.5 min in key, can't rush it. How much you brown is a metter of personal taste so try it out.[p]He does his in a deep frying pan w/ a little oil, then adds stock to cover the rice, sets it to simmer and then lets it go. He checks it from time to time to see if he needs to add stock. The rice will "puff" up and seem to split open when done, very tender and full of flavor.[p]Worth a try
Eric

Nature Boy

Eric,
Consider me intrigued!
Thanks man!
Chris

Pakak

Nature Boy,[p]Ya mean ya never have made Rice-a-Roni? Sheesh, every bachelor knows how to make it from memory. Well, these days I guess it's Ramen noodles but back in the day ...

Unknown

Nature Boy,
brown in small amt of oil first then add the broth to the hot broth to the pan the rice is in.

Nature Boy

Pakak,
They had ramen noodles when I was a bachelor. Mac n cheese too.[p]Never made "The San Francisco Treat" myself, but always enjoyed Mom's.