Chicken Soup
- One 5-to-5 1/2-pound chicken
- Sea salt
- 4 ribs celery
- 1 medium carrot, peeled
- 1 medium leek, white and light-green parts only
- 3 sprigs savory or thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 large head garlic
- 1-2 dried, medium-spicy chilies, like chilhuacle, ancho or New Mexican
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- Half of a small savoy cabbage, cored and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Remove the wing tips, feet and legs from the chicken.
- Slice along both sides of the backbone, removing it along with the attached head and neck.
- Leave the first joint of the wings attached to each breast half.
- Season the breast halves and legs liberally with salt and leave at room temperature.
- Chop 1 rib of the celery, the carrot and half of the leek into 1?2-inch pieces.
- Put them in a large stockpot with the herbs and 5 smashed unpeeled garlic cloves.
- Arrange the wing tips, backbone and feet on top as level as you can.
- Add water to barely cover, 6 to 8 cups.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, skimming off impurities.
- Add the legs and breasts and weigh them down with a small plate to keep them submerged.
- Return to a boil, then lower the heat until barely bubbling and simmer for 30 minutes more.
- Let sit off the heat for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the remaining celery and leek into 1/4-inch cubes.
- Peel and thinly slice the remaining garlic.
- Grind the chilies, with seeds, to make 2 tablespoons.
- Remove the legs and breast halves from the pot and let them cool.
- Strain the stock.
- Wipe the stockpot dry, set over low heat and add the oil.
- When hot, add the sliced garlic and gently saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the ground chilies and cook for 1 minute.
- Return the stock to the pot, bring to a boil and lower to a simmer.
- Add the cabbage, celery and leeks and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Season to taste.
- Remove and discard the chicken skin, pick the meat from the bones and cut it across the grain into large chunks.
- Add to the soup and let sit for 15 minutes off the heat.
- Just before serving, bring to a simmer and serve with a lime wedge.
chicken, salt, celery, carrot, only, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, chilies, olive oil, savoy cabbage, freshly ground black pepper, lime
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012893 (may not work)