Chicken Noodle Soup

We got fresh chickens at the farm ($5/lb! sheesh, but I had to try). I decided that rather than roast the chicken, I was going to make soup! This recipe is not for the faint of heart, but its not too tough. You need about 6 hours to make the stock and it needs to be stored overnight before you can make soup, so plan ahead. The first day is hard. The second day makes it worth it. 

one whole chicken
carrot (I used 9)
onion (I used 2)
celery (I used the equivalent of 7 or 8 normal stalks)
salt
pepper

sage

thyme

rosemary

3 bay leaves

1 lb. egg noodles

Lets start with the fun part. 

See that chicken over there on the counter? The one that is delightfully whole? All connected and chicken-looking? 

Rip off its skin. This is gross, trust me. If I had known how gross, I might not have made stock from a fresh chicken. 

Get a knife (or do what i did and PULL it apart). Cut that chicken into pieces! Grab the leg and pull it off! Break the wings!! Crack the ribs!! Don't forget to remove the giblets! 

The chicken should be in small parts, maybe 3-4 inches each. Bonus points for breaking bones, because you'll get a tastier stock. 

Place all parts, bones included, in a large stock pot. 

Fill the pot with water and bring to a boil.  

Throw in some sage, rosemary, and thyme for good measure. 

Simmer for six hours, four at the very least. Hang around the house and drool. 

As it simmers, you can skim some of the scum off the top but try not to disturb the chicken too much. The more you disturb the chicken the cloudier the stock will get. 

After six hours, cool the stock. I did this by filling my sink full of ice water and putting the pot in it. Once the pot is in the water, stir the contents until it cools. Voila! If you are patient and have counter space, you can let it cool on the counter top. Whatever you do, DON'T put it right in the fridge while its hot. Unless you like the taste of bacteria. 

Next day, pull out your stock. All of the fat you didn't skim while it was cooking should be floating in there on the top. Skim that off now. 

Throw in the carrots, onion, celery and spices. 

Bring to a boil. 

Simmer until the carrot and celery soften. 

Add egg noodles and cook until they're done. 

EAT. 

(See? The second day IS worth it. Its when you eat.)