Chicken soup according to great-grandma's recipe

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• ½ soup chicken, approx. 1.2 – 1.4 kg
• 3 ¾ liters of water
• lots of salt
• 1 cup(s) long grain rice
• 2 cups water

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours 25 minutes

Chicken taste completely unadulterated

Great-grandmother always said that clear chicken soup shouldn’t be adulterated by anything. Vegetable versions are also delicious (see my so-called postpartum soup), but if you want to experience the pure taste of chicken, you should try this recipe. First of all, it’s important to use a good, fat chicken for soup. Never use chicken, chicken parts, or anything like that. Place the chicken in a large pot with cold water (do not add salt) and simmer gently for about 3 hours with the lid slightly open. It’s sufficient to maintain a boiling point—it shouldn’t boil vigorously. In another pot, bring a cup of rice, 2 cups of water, and a pinch of salt to a boil with the lid closed. Then reduce the heat to the lowest possible temperature and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Then, fluff the rice up a bit with a fork and let it evaporate. After 3 hours, remove the chicken from the broth and pour it through a sieve into a large bowl to catch any small bones or skin that may have come loose. Let the broth stand for a while and then carefully pour it back into the pot. Discard any remaining liquid that may have collected at the bottom of the bowl. Heat the broth back up slightly and season with plenty of salt. Cut the chicken into chunks, cut the meat into nice cubes, and add (only) these to the broth. If you want to serve the whole soup right away, you can add the rice straight away. Otherwise, stir it into the soup in portions so it doesn’t take on too much of the rice flavor. It’s incredible how comforting, authentic, and delicious this soup is, especially on cold days.