One of the first things that brings the start of autumn season to mind is when I start thinking stock and soup and today I am going to be making two stock pots of chicken stock. One will be for the freezer and the other will be to make a Vietnamese chicken noodle soup, full of the cellophane noodles, cilantro, chives, mint, black mushrooms, bean sprouts and of course chicken; if I really wanted to go all out, I would add tiny shrimp and sliced omelette with perhaps a water chestnut or two. That is what is so nice about great chicken stock, it provides you with a canvas and you can add whatsoever you have on hand to add the wonderful flavors and textures that produces a masterpiece of a soup ready for you and your family to eat.
Today I did the usual steps to make chicken stock; I gathered the herbs, I cut up the vegetables and I decided to roast the chicken thighs for a bit before adding them to the pot. As you can see I chose to use fresh sage, thyme and oregano from my garden and I studded the onions with cloves, the bay leaves I had in my pantry, I peeled several cloves of garlic as well. Theoretically with all of these wonderful ingredients the chicken stock should be rich and flavorful in about four to six hours.
While I was puttering about in the kitchen, Jack was sitting next to the refrigerator reminding me that he was hungry; he is always hungry and that position of his, is pretty much how he spends much of his day, if he isn’t laying on my lap that is or sitting by the window surveying all who walk by, occasionally barking to remind everyone that he is watching and earning his keep.
laurieanichols 