Boiling the noodles...Caught in mid-boil with a flash.
Flash ruins photos so it's not as yummy looking as it really was!
Not a soup, but a nice thick bowl of homemade noodles in a thick chicken broth. If it were more liquid with a bit of parsley it could be a soup but what I wanted was a nice big bowl of warm, comforting old fashioned chicken and noodles.
This original recipe is from the turn of the century... 1900, not 2000. It is one all of our great-great grandmothers made I'm sure and no none actually used a 'recipe' for.
I took a lot of liberties with it. I was craving this recipe myself because it is getting cold out and my body loves homemade noodles when it's Autumn. However, I also made it because my 14 year old daughter has a terrible cold this week and I knew homemade chicken and noodles would help. Lastly, I always (always!) believe in making 2 meals out of one if at all possible and I had a half chicken to use up! Frugality should be a way of life and you should never throw out leftover food, but instead, find another way to use it in a fresh, new way.
Changes to the 'old' recipe I made: Earlier this week we had a roasted chicken for dinner; we only ate a little over 1/2 of it so instead of fresh chickens I used the whole chicken carcass I still had with a whole side breast still on it. Another difference is using modern convenience; I use a food processor with an 'S' blade to mix my noodle dough and then use a hand crank pasta machine to roll the dough instead of rolling it out and flattening it 8 times with a rolling pin. I also use what I have on hand to make the broth and hope you will to. No carrots? No problem. I didn't use any either. I also didn't have celery this time around. This meal was so warm, hearty and filling not only did my family rave about it, but I can't wait to take some to work with me to day for lunch; my mouth is watering at the thought! Play with this 'recipe' and use what you have on hand and what you like!
Homemade Chicken and Noodles
2 (5 lb.) chickens, cut in quarters (I only use one chicken)
6 c water
1 carrot, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 c celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 T flour
1 T black pepper
4 eggs
2 c flour
1 T canola oil
pepper
salt
Simmer the chicken with celery, onions, carrots and garlic in a pan on the stove. Skim off the scum. Don't let it boil - keep it at a simmer. Remove the chicken, strain the broth through a sieve, discarding the vegetables and returning the broth to the pan. Remove and pull the meat off the bones and add to the broth. Thicken it by mixing 2 T flour and about 1/3 - 1/2 c water together and whisking it into the broth. Bring to a brief boil, reduce heat and season with the salt and pepper.
Mix the eggs with flour, oil, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process with an 'S' blade, adding just a touch of oil or a teaspoon of water if it's too dry. As soon as the dough comes together to a ball stop and remove it. Let it rest for a few minutes. You can use a hand crank pasta machine if you have one to thin and roll the dough and cut into noodles. If you don't have one, roll and stretch the dough about 8 times until very thin. Hang over a line or waxed paper or foil and dry for 30 minutes. Don't let it become brittle. Roll it and cut it into thin noodles. Cook them in boiling water 10 minutes then drain and add to the chicken sauce. Serve.
