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

1. Put chicken in a large stockpot with the stock, onion, carrots, and leeks.

2. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, then immediately decrease heat to medium-low. Skim foam from the surface if needed.

3. Add in the bay leaf, allspice, peppercorns, and thyme to the pot with some salt and pepper.

4. Simmer about 45 minutes, until the chicken and vegetables are nearly tender and the chicken is cooked through.

5. With 15 minutes of cooking time remaining, preheat the oven to 200°.

6. 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.

7. Increase heat to high and boil the stock until it reduces by about 25 percent, 10-15 minutes.

8. Strain the stock into a big bowl and adjust seasoning as needed.

9. 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.

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