Categories: Chicken, Main Dish, Mark Bittman
Ingredients
- 1 (3 -4 lb) whole chickens, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 3 onions, quartered
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 leeks, split, trimmed, cleaned, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 allspice berries
- 10 peppercorns
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- minced fresh parsley, for garnish
Directions
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Put chicken in a large stockpot with the stock, onion, carrots, and leeks.
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Bring to a boil over med-high heat, then immediately decrease heat to medium-low. Skim foam from the surface if needed.
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Add in the bay leaf, allspice, peppercorns, and thyme to the pot with some salt and pepper.
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Simmer about 45 minutes, until the chicken and vegetables are nearly tender and the chicken is cooked through.
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With 15 minutes of cooking time remaining, preheat the oven to 200°.
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When the chicken is done, use a slotted spoon to remove it and the vegetables to an ovenproof platter and place the platter in the oven.
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Increase heat to high and boil the stock until it reduces by about 25 percent, 10-15 minutes.
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Strain the stock into a big bowl and adjust seasoning as needed.
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Serve the soup as a first course, garnished with parsley, followed by the chicken and vegetables, or cut up the chicken and serve in deep bowls with the broth and the vegetables; garnish with parsley.