Rosołek — quick Polish chicken broth
“Slow down enough and the water starts talking. That is all a broth is.”
Every Polish Sunday starts with rosół. The full version simmers for half a day; this is the student version, an hour and a bit, and it still cures colds, hangovers and homesickness.
Ingredients
- a piece of chicken, about 500 g: legs, wings or a carcass all work
- 1 large carrot, cut into chunks
- 1 medium onion, peeled and left whole so it does not fall apart
- ½ parsley root (the white one), optional
- 2 litres water
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 allspice berries
- black pepper
- 2–3 stock cubes
- all-purpose seasoning (Vegeta or similar)
- a few shakes of Maggi
- to finish: a handful of fresh parsley and/or lovage, and dill
- to serve: thin noodles, cooked separately
Steps
- Everything into the pot. Chicken, carrot, onion, parsley root, water, bay leaves, allspice, pepper, stock cubes and seasoning. Bring to the boil, then turn it down to a gentle simmer.
- Cook for at least one hour, lid half on. Skim any foam in the first ten minutes if you want a clear broth.
- Take out the onion and the parsley root. Eat them with a shake of Maggi while nobody is looking; that is the cook's reward.
- Add the greens: chopped parsley, lovage, dill. Five more minutes and the rosołek is done. Taste, adjust with salt or Maggi.
- Serve over noodles, with the carrot pieces and the meat picked off the bone.
Tips
- Cook the noodles first in salted water, drain, and use the same pot for the broth. One pot to wash.
- Lovage (lubczyk) is the secret of a Polish broth; if you can find it, use it.
- The next day the broth is a base for anything: risotto, sauces, or just reheated with more noodles.
- Maggi is a dark liquid seasoning found in every Polish kitchen; a few shakes replace a lot of salt.
a spoon left standing
in the pot overnight — someone
still expects soup