Just over a year ago a croak went out from a sick bed just after Christmas–for Chicken Broth!
( The bones of Richard the Third may be trying to communicate the same request, after being so rudely disturbed from their place of eternal rest under a car park in Leicester, England–
A broth, a broth my kingdom for a broth!–[Blow the horse!])
Now Meredith is laid up again with a nasty cold–not surprising after our breathless ten days in the States.
As ’tis the very season of snuffles and croaks–here again is last year’s post on a traditional remedy to ease the discomfort.
“Horses for courses”–chicken for chills!
“Please–just some broth today!” was the request this morning from the sick bed.
Poor Meredith has been fighting the lurgy since Christmas Day.
Not a person to give in lightly to a tickle in the throat she has been up and back to bed all week.
We were bucked up last night by watching the original Shrek film, which I hadn’t seen.
It is high in the chuckle factor and almost as good a tonic as a bowl of chicken soup.
But this morning after a troublesome night it has to be the real thing–so here goes!
I put in a large pot:
1 chicken–washed
1 carrot
2 sticks of celery–roughly chopped
the outer parts of a fennel bulb–roughly chopped
1 onion–peeled and roughly chopped
1 small garlic bulb–with the top sliced off
3 bay leaves
a couple of parsley sprigs
a couple of slices of fresh ginger
a few peppercorns
3 pints of organic vegetable stock–from cubes and
the kitchen sink (only kidding!).
I bring these slowly up to the simmer–while feeding Beau a little cat milk and reassuring the patient that broth will be ready at the end of a brief snooze–cover it and leave it to bubble for an hour and a half.
Then I remove the cooked(out) vegetables with a slotted spoon and
add a cut up carrot,
half a cut up fennel bulb and
some broccoli and
cook on until they soften and serve them with the broth.
Now, not meaning any disrespect to “grandma’s” traditional cure-all remedy–especially not as in a few days I shall reach the traditional “alloted span” and so must watch my tongue–I always find this broth/soup less than more-ish. So what am I doing wrong?
(Our friend Charlotte suggests plenty of leeks and some nutmeg!)
Nevertheless the patient said she was happy with the outcome, but advised that the broth be refridgerated overnight for the fat to rise, be skimmed off and the soup to be reheated.
The pot is coming to a simmer as I write and will be ready, I hope, for a soothing supper for the sufferer.
Good enough for a King too I hope–if he can get himself together!
Robin Ellis 
Best wishes to Meredith and of course, yourself Robin. Let’s hope for a speedy recovery, helped along by your wonderful broth. Take care Joan xxx
Sounds delicious Robin. I make our favorite, Matzoh ball soup, with homemade chicken broth. Maybe cutting the chicken up so the bones flavor the soup more? And I let it simmer for a few hours & I add some chicken bouillon cubes if more flavor is needed… hopefully without salt. Hope Meredith improves soon.
I have a ‘hunch’ that this broth will work it’s magic yet again, Robin (sorry!) wishing Meredith a very speedy recovery!
Robin you asked what is missing in your Chicken soup – are you using an old hen rather than a chicken (une Poule pas un poulet) for maximum flavor and all those magical curative ingredients? That is (one of the) key(s) to Chicken Soup.
You are right–but all the older hens had vanished into other pots!
I hope Meredith will going well soon! Brot is the best medine ever! Good night dear friends! Bea
Chicken soup never fails! Regarding Richard The Third if anyone believes he should be buried in York please sign e petition!
Santa Gregori
I enjoyed your Richard III jests, but I am very sorry to hear that Meredith has such a nasty cold. Please tell her I hope that the chicken soup works miracles (I’m sure it will!) and that she is better soon.
Dear Robin,
I always like to finish off chicken soup with a good squeeze of lemon–half or whole, depending on how much you like fresh lemon. Just an idea–soup sounds wonderful. Please wish Meredith a speedy recovery!
I will do the same when Meredith asks for a second helping!–thanks.
One of the best spices I discovered a few years ago is marjoram leaves. Try using it sparingly in savory broths and especially gravies and it’s the BEST in quiches and other egg dishes. Not ground – too intense! Just a couple shakes of the tiny chopped leaves. That and a couple shakes of thyme leaves in my chicken broth and you have a depth of flavor you didn’t know could come from a chicken. Wish fennel were more common here in the USA – when I find it (and leeks which I love) they’re usually too long from the farm to consider buying. Anyway, thanks for more great cooking ideas, Robin! From your fan, CeePee
Thanks Cee Pee!
……move over Meredith, i have the lurgy too, need some broth!! (seriously hope we both feel better very soon!) x
Hope you feel better soon.
I usually add barley and other pulses to naturally thicken the broth. Glad the soup is having the effect. If you manage to store some soup overnight it will intensify.
Good idea–barley. Demain.
Hi Robin, oh did you see that exciting programme on T.V the other night called ‘The king under the car park ‘ ?- It was excellent, about the finding of Richard 111’s skeleton under a social services car park in Leicester, quite breathtaking the way that the lady who is the head of the Rickardian society just KNEW by some supernatural instinct the exact location where to dig, and there HE WAS!! It really was him, they proved it with D.N.A (apart from all the other clues about his personnage). It was just uncanny. Your chicken broth obviously did the magic as well … wish Meredith quick recovery! Best wishes, Linda L
Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2013 17:13:29 +0000 To: twokerry@hotmail.com
A lovely soup recipe, sick or not. But I do wish Meredith well.
I watched the same documentary on finding Richard III – I love history and archaeology but it was frankly bizarre – the slightly deranged woman from the Richard III Society kept having histrionics, having to sit outside and have a moment because it was all so overwhelming and nobody understood how she felt because she saw the real man not a bunch of bones. It was like seeing a teenage girl disintegrate after meeting One Direction! Needless to say the archaeologists looked a bit bemused and kept rolling their eyes!
I can make many more exotic soups, but I have never made what I consider to be a really good Chicken Soup! I am going to try your recipe Robin! All it needs is a really good Matzoh ball!! Yum!
Robin hope Meredith will soon be feeling better,I am sure your fortifing broth will
be an aid to a full recovery very soon,Mum use to make this broth for us all in the winter whether we were ill or not,but she use to put pearl barley and lentils in,made it good and rich.I watched the Richard 111 program, it was very interesting,I belonged to the “Richard the Third Society” Hope we are not now going on a guilt trip,Richard was no Saint but who was at that time in that class, never did quite believe Shakespeare’s version,Richard did a lot of good for his poeple, and even his enemies admitted he was a brave soldier.I perssonally think he should be buried at York,where he spent maybe the happiest times of his life at Middleham in the beautiful dales,where they have always called him one of their own, I am a Lancashire lass Robin, he belongs to Yorkshire it was his home.
That is very interesting, Elaine. I have seen so many R3s and have never investigated further shamefully, that I have always bought into the Shakespeare version of him. Hard to give up a good villain!
I have, on the other hand, never been able to marry the friendly looking portrait of him in Westminster Abbey with the William’s depiction.
My Mom always added a bit of curry, so I do too. It seems to round it out; or perhaps that’s just because that is what I grew up with? My sister adds chopped parsnips; that’s nice too!
I do love homemade Chicken soup.
Cheers to Meredith; I’m sure you take very good care of her! ❤
Just some ideas to change it up a bit if the broth’s too bland — I always use a pint or so of prepared chicken broth in my soup as I also find just water to be a little weak. A splash (or several) of a nice white table wine helps brighten it, as does a squeeze of lemon and a few course grinds of mixed peppercorns or some white pepper. Personally, I don’t care for broccoli in my chicken soup, especially if it goes to leftovers — but that’s a matter of personal taste. I prefer some green onion or chive to garnish. Hope this helps, and that Meredith gets well soon and you don’t catch it.
White wine it shall be today–thanks!
When I make chicken soup I use only the white meat; when we were young and poor I used to use only wings which were at that time ten cents a pound, while now, of course, they cost the earth. These days I use only the breasts, and I use a lot of carrots. I shred the meat into the broth, and I reduce it to enhance the flavor. My young self could never have envisioned the day when the wings would be more per pound than the breasts.
Please tell Meredith to baby herself, there are all sorts of weird viruses around this year, and I ended up spending a week in the hospital after developing breathing difficulties which was very scary indeed. So she should not exert herself and allow her loving husband to care for her. I am home now, and mine is doing that very thing.
Just what I have told my busy wife–slow down for a day or two!! She’s a good patient though.
Hi Meredith andRobin! My old soup recipe from Julia
Child calls for lentils, lots of garlic and carrots, and as Meredith pointed out, chilling to let the fat rise for skimming. I know you shy from potatoes, but in leaner times I fleshed out the pot (so to speak) with russets with their skins on. It was pretty good on a cold winter night!
Hope Doc Ellis works his magic,
Nancy N
Ps my family RAVED about the spicy lemon chicken recipe. said it was the best they’d ever tasted!
I put the green ends of the leeks in to give a good flavour. Also removing some of the breast meet before the paoching of the body, and then adding it chopped to the broth at the end with the fresh vegetables.
I just heard they are doing an open air Richard II in NYC in a … carpark.
Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious tarmac by The Sun, New York
Ha ha, Chris!
very witty!!! glad you enjoyed the program . I’d been waiting for it since they first announced the discovery of the bones!! Just wish Tony Robinson had got that gig!!
Hope you wife’s recovery is imminent.
I use the green ends of leeks to give the broth more flavour and avoid any stock cubes.
I just heard that they are doing an openair performance of Richard III in NYC … in a carpark.
“Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious tarmac by The Sun, New York”.
I fear I’ll be needing this recipe, too…Just can’t shake the sore throat & sneezes. Ugh! Maybe a good snowstorm tomorrow will allow us to slow down!
Feel better, Meredith!
Robin Ellis competes with Jewish mothers everywhere, making his own form of Jewish penicillin. …or perhaps we should say English penicillin? If it works and tastes good, who cares? I will have to try this! (I hope your dear Meredith feels better soon!) Best, Chris
Oh yes – curry would be good. Literature here in the USA saying curry is good for staving off Alzherimers……not to mention how good it tastes!
Hello Dear Robin,Yes Broth is very good it’s food and drink gives strenght, what also help is a Grog, hot red wine(with sugar or honey) lemon and a few cloves. Or hot Rhum or good Wiskey or Cognac with Tea (don’t mix them with medicines). Get well soon Meredith!, Chantal.
I’ll try tempting her with the grog–kill or cure I reckon!
I think it is really neat that Richard the III’s bones were found after all these years. I mean who wants to be buried under a car park??
Well, I hope Meredith is no longer feeling so hoarse, and will soon be much better. This chicken broth does sound great. Amazed and fascinated myself about Richard III, too, and agree with Judy’s comment above!! It has kind of brought the fifteenth century right ‘up close’, and we find ourselves reading about the horrors of medieval battles, halberds etc. Maybe the guy wasn’t as terrible as Shakespeare has had us believe – though wasn’t he responsible for the demise of ‘The Princes in the Tower’? That was pretty dastardly, a bit of history that leaves its impression on us when we learn of it at a young age. Maybe it’s unproven though?
Good job it was a long-stay car park!
I hope Richard’s remains stay in Leicester.
Hope Meredith is now on the mend – she has an excellent ‘nurse’…
Chicken soup–the best remedy!
Best wishes to Meredith for a speedy recovery.
I have a very ill grandmother who will profit much from this I’m sure. I never would have thought to use ginger. However ginger is so nice and adds a nice taste! I do hope your patient has recovered.
Sorry Meredith is ill. Hope she feels better soon. I thought King Richard III was saying “A hearse. A hearse. My kingdom for a hearse.” Which I totally don’t get, because here across the pond, we normally just throw our politicans under the bus. 🙂 And I think the broth/soup looks perfect as made. Of course, if Meredith enjoyed it – that’s all that matters.
In fact, he was only rehearseing.
Best wishes to Meredith for a speedy recovery. Chicken broth should do the trick.