Old- fashioned Chicken Soup

The broth

1 small whole chicken 8- 12 cups ( 2- 3L) water 1 onion, quartered with skin on 2 stalks celery 10 peppercorns 1 clove garlic, lightly crushed 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon ( 15 mL) salt

The soup

2 tablespoons ( 30 mL) chicken fat 1 cup ( 250 mL) onion, diced ½ cup ( 125 mL) celery, diced 1 cup ( 250 mL) carrots, diced ¼ cup ( 65 mL) white wine ¼ cup ( 65 mL) parsley chopped ¼ cup ( 65 mL) fresh chives, chopped 1 teaspoon ( 5 mL) Louisiana- style red pepper sauce

Optional:

To add carbohydrate add a half cup of either rice, pearl barley or thin egg noodles and simmer for 30 minutes.

Wrap the chicken in a cheesecloth and tie the corners together. Place the chicken and the ingredients for the broth in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer on low heat for two hours. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain the broth and discard the vegetables and spices. Skim the fat off the top and reserve both the fat and the broth. Place a large pot on medium heat and add chicken fat, diced onion, celery and carrot. Stir until softened then add the white wine and stir until it mostly evaporates. Add the broth and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the skin of the chicken and shred the meat. Add the meat, parsley and chives to the soup pot and simmer five minutes. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.

Serves six