Chicken Broth with Old Bread Dumplings

Cook Time 3 to 4 hours

Servings 4-6

Ingredients

1.2kg chicken wings or save the bones from your roast chickens in the freezer until you have enough for a broth.

2 medium sized brown onions

1 bulb fennel, top stalks only

4 large celery stalks

6 large cloves

2 bay leaves

10 sprigs of thyme

5L water

2 tbsp arrowroot

2 tbsp water

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot sauce

Salt

Black pepper

Dumplings

1 cup fine bread crumbs. Remove the crust from a loaf of old sourdough, chop and blend the inside of the loaf. Place on a tray and dry. Once dry blend till fine.

4 eggs

1 tsp salt

4 tbsp chicken fat, from roasting the chicken

2 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp water

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried dill

½ tsp ground black pepper

To serve

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Chop the wings into the joints. Place on a baking tray and lightly dress with extra virgin olive oil. Roast the wings for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Keep the fat.

Peel and dice roughly the onions. Chop the fennel and celery. Peel and crush the garlic. Place a large pot on the stove on a medium-high heat. Add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and add the onions. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the fennel, celery, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes stirring often. Lower the heat if the vegetables are colouring to much. Add the water and bring to a boil. Add the roasted chicken and set to a medium simmer. Skim off any foam or fat. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Strain into a smaller pot and bring to the boil. Reduce for 5 minutes. Mix the arrowroot and water together in a small bowl. Add to the boiling broth and whisk in. Season at a simmer with the soy, Worcestershire, hot sauce, salt and a heap of freshly cracked black pepper.

For the dumplings, measure all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl mix the eggs, water and chicken fat and mix well. Pour the wet mixture into the dry. Mix well but don’t over work. Once mixed refrigerate for 1 hour. Once the dough is rested roll into roughly 20 small balls, around the size of a cherry tomato. When rolling be sure the press the dough together really firmly and then roll into smooth balls. Place a medium sized pot of water onto the stove and bring to the boil. Add the dumplings and bring back to the boil. Reduce to a medium simmer and cook for 6-7 minutes until the balls are set all the way through. Once cooked remove from the water and drain on a towel.

To serve, add the cooked dumplings to the boiling broth. Warm the matzo balls at a simmer for 5 minutes. Serve 5 balls per person in broth. Poor over a generous lug of extra virgin olive oil and a few grates of cheese. Leftover broth will keep for a week.