Old fashioned cream of chicken soup

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

3 lb Chickens
12 1/2 c Water
1 Onion - unpeeled pierced -with 2 whole cloves
2 Stalk celery - with leaves
2 Carrots - cut into 2-inch -pieces
4 Sprig parsley
12 Peppercorns - whole black
1 Bay leaf
1 tb Thyme - fresh OR 1 teaspoon -dried crumbled SOUP:
1/2 Stick unsalted butter - OR -olive oil (1/4 cup)
1 lg Onion - white minced
2 Stalk celery - minced
1/2 c Flour - all-purpose
3 c Milk
1 c Whipping cream
1 tb Dry Sherry
1 tb Green peppercorn mustard

Instructions:

CHICKEN STOCK: salt and freshly ground pepper minced fresh parsley FOR STOCK: Preheat oven to 400F. Pat chickens dry. Place in heavy roasting pan. Roast until juices run clear when chicken is pierced in thickest part of thigh about 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. Set roasting pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to boil scraping up any browned bits. Transfer liquid to large pot. Add remaining 12 cups water onion celery carrots parsley peppercorns bay leaf and thyme to pot. Skin and bone chicken. Add skin and bones to pot. Bring stock to boil skimming surface occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours. Strain stock into large saucepan. Boil until reduced to 3 cups about 40 minutes. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead and refrigerated.) Degrease stock. FOR SOUP: Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over low heat. Add onion and celery and cook until onion is translucent stirring frequently about 15 minutes; do not brown. Puree mixture in processor or blender. Return to pan. Add flour and stir over low heat 3 minutes. Whisk in stock. Increase heat and bring to boil. Gradually whisk in milk. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened stirring frequently about 20 minutes. Dice chicken and add to soup. Add cream Sherry mustard salt and pepper. Stir until heat through. Ladle into bowls. Top with parsley. Serves 8. Recipe from Bon Appetit October 1987. Posted by Michelle Bass. Courtesy of Fred Peters.