and made this...
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
1 large onion
3 carrots
4 stems fresh flat-leaf parsley
10 whole pink peppercorns
2 tbsp chicken bouillon
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 small rutabaga, diced
4 ounces parsnip, diced
Coarse salt
Ground pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh sage
1/2 cup heavy cream
Oyster Crackers for a garnish
1. To make the homemade chicken stock: Place chicken, breast side down, in a large pot. Add enough
water to just cover chicken. Add 1/2 of the onion (whole), 1 carrot (halved),
parsley, bouillon, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, partially covered. Reduce
heat, and simmer gently for 1 hour.
2. Remove chicken, and let cool. Strain
broth through a fine sieve, and
bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes to reduce and intensify flavor.
3. Shred chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding bones and skin.
4. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the other halve of the onion (chopped), the rest of the carrots (diced), rutabaga, and parsnips, and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, & sage.
5. Stir in flour, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in reserved
chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until root vegetables are
tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
6. Stir in reserved chicken and the cream, and heat until warmed
through, about 1 minute. Serve warm with oyster crackers
