Sopa De Pollo Con Arroz (chicken And Rice Soup)

Total Time: 4 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 large russet potato
• 2 carrots
• 1 large tomato
• 2 stalks celery (with leaves)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon salt (or more)
• 1/2 onion (do not use red onion)
• 1/2 cup rice, washed
• 1/4 head cannonball cabbage
• 1/8 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 dash crystal hot sauce
• 1 -2 quart water or 1 -2 quart chicken stock

Recipe

• 1 extract giblets from chicken and remove the liver.
• 2 place chicken in a pot of water just large enough to hold it.
• 3 cover with 1-2 quarts of water and add the giblets.
• 4 add salt and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam.
• 5 reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer for 20 or more minutes.
• 6 chicken should fall apart after cooking.
• 7 completely bone out the cooked chicken.
• 8 separate meat for use in the finished soup.
• 9 crack the bones and return them to the stock with the skin.
• 10 add all other non-meat parts of the chicken back to the stock.
• 11 bring stock and giblets back to a fast simmer.
• 12 cook stock for 1/2-1 hour longer.
• 13 begin washing rice.
• 14 strain stock and remove most, but not all of the fat.
• 15 peel the potato, tomato and carrots.
• 16 bring stock to a boil and reduce heat.
• 17 cut carrots into coins, dice potato into 1/2" cubes and add with cabbage cut into 1" chunks.
• 18 chop onion coarsely and add along with pressed or finely minced garlic.
• 19 remove strings by breaking the top of the stalk backwards and pulling down to strip them out, slice celery into medium pieces and add.
• 20 peel and seed tomato, strain tomato juice from seeds and add with chopped cilantro leaves.
• 21 chop some of the celery heart's leaves and add with diced chicken meat in 1/2" chunks.
• 22 finish washing rice and add to soup.
• 23 during last half hour of cooking add all other spices.
• 24 adjust salt to taste (this recipe can take a lot of salt).
• 25 avoid adding too much cumin, it will spoil the flavor.
• 26 do not let the soup boil, it will turn to mush.
• 27 do not use the chicken liver in the soup.
• 28 when the rice begins to "bloom" turn off the heat.
• 29 elbow macaroni, stars or alphabet pasta may be used.
• 30 if using pasta, omit or reduce the amount of rice.
• 31 if the stock is made right it will gel when chilled.
• 32 note: this recipe took years to figure out.
• 33 do not use chicken bullion cubes or paste when making this.
• 34 they will cloud the soup and destroy its delicate bouquet.
• 35 tinned broth is acceptable but will not compare to using the stock described above.