Cookin' With Leo

By Leocthasme

Away back when, whenever, seems as though if one kid got something, then every kid in the neighborhood got it. Whatever it was, a cold, a runny nose, red eye, measles, whichever, it just ran its course. But then, in those days kids played together in empty lots, dumps, wide open fields, alleys, and, yep, even streets. Mad moms and pops, never told their kids to play in the street, on the center line preferably, 'cause the streets were empty for the most part. Most neighborhood streets were only busy in the morning when everybody was going to work or in the evening when they came home. But, anyway, back to what ailed us kids was usually curable with some TLC and Mom's Chicken Soup.

Chicken soup was sort of a staple, way back then, Actually chicken was cheap meat. Roosevelt already told us we was gettin' 2 chickens in every pot, so we had plenty of 'em. The little butcher shops even used to give away feet, wing tips, necks, and innards. The good stuff that was left was only about 2 bits a pound. So a nice cookin' chicken was usually not more than a buck or so. Plus with the give-aways you had the makins' of Mom's best cure all. So here is a real mom's cure all recipe, and besides being good for you, it's good too.

So, here is what you need for Ma's cure all chicken soup:

1 onion peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1 carrot cleaned and chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped fine
1 whole cooking chicken about 4 or 5 pounds
A 10 to 12 quart stainless steel pot with just enough water to cover the chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
A dash of marjoram

OK, let's take care of the chicken first. Place all the veggies in the pot with the chicken, salt and pepper to taste and just add enough water to cover. Add a dash of marjoram and cover and bring to boil. Cut the heat to a slow simmer for about 2 hours or until the meat falls off the bone. Remove from pot and set meat aside, toss out the bones, skin, gristle, and fat. Save the stock and meat for the next step.

You will need at least one quart of the stock

2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
3 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Juice of one lemon
Chopped chives and/or asparagus tips

Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve. Rinse out the soup pot.
Cut the white meat into julienne strips and set aside.
Mix the dark meat with a cup of stock and puree in the blender.
Brown the flour and butter in a small cast iron skillet and add to the puree in the soup pot.
Add the remaining stock. Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, lower heat.
Beat the egg yolks until light and lemon colored, and then beat in the cream.
Slowly blend in a few tablespoons of the hot soup into the egg and cream mixture, then slowly add the mixture back into the pot stirring constantly.
Bring pot back to simmer, but do not boil.
Add the white chicken meat, salt and pepper to taste, and the lemon juice.
Lower heat to serving temperature and pour into heavy soup bowls.
Sprinkle chives on top and/or add asparagus tips that have been steamed separately and tossed in a little butter.

Rye bread and butter goes with this as does a dark heavy malt beer or Mick dark beer for a real mom's cure all.