Basic Guide to Chicken Soup
_Older, larger birds, such as the 5-7 pound roasters,
make the best soups. An older bird will have developed more
of the rich, intense chickeny flavor than the younger,
milder-flavored broilers or Cornish hens. I've made soup
from broilers and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't as good as
it could be.
_Use roaster parts if you want to save time. They
cook faster and are excellent when you need only a small
amount of broth. The richest flavor, by the way, comes
from the muscles that are exercised most, which happen to
be the dark meat muscles. All parts will make satisfactory
soup, but the legs, thighs and necks provide the fullest
flavor.
_For clear, golden broth, do not add liver. It turns
stock cloudy. And avoid a greenish cast by using only
parsley stems and the white parts of leeks or scallions.
_As the stock cooks down, foam will float to the top.
Skim it off, or strain it out through double cheesecloth
when the stock is complete. Tie herbs and greens in
cheesecloth as a "bouquet garni," so you won't
inadvertently remove them during the skimming.
_Always simmer stock over low to medium heat. It's not
a good idea to boil the stock for the same reason it's not
a good idea to boil coffee; too much of the flavor would
boil away into the air. _Leftover vegetables and those past
their prime are good pureed in cream soups. When
thickening such recipes with egg, prevent curdling by
stirring a cup of hot soup first into egg, then back into
soup. Also, be careful to keep the soup from boiling once