Broth of Chickens

Soup, Meat, 14th century, Italian
Based on Brodo di Polastri Show original recipe
Using Arte della Cucina pg 65
Alternate reconstructions:
Reconstructed 01/03/1993 by Johanna Dudley
Serves 8

Ingredients

1 Chicken Breast (poached, whole)
1 cup Almonds, Ground
2 cans Chicken Broth (diluted with water)
1 tsp Rosewater
2 Tbl Vinegar, Red Wine
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ginger
5 Cloves (crushed in a mortar and pestle)
Noodles
Sugar (as desired)

Steps

  • Food-processed the chicken with the almonds, rosewater & vinegar. Form into meatballs.
  • Heat broth & spices.
  • Cook noodles separately in water until nearly done. Drain.
  • Serve sprinkled with sugar.

Notes

I tried this one at home with some leftovers. Things didn't quite work out the way I'd envisioned, but I can offer some suggestions:
I think the chicken/almond mixture should stick together like tiny meatballs. My mixture was a little wet, so I dropped it in with a spoon. Next time I'd make the mixture dry enough to roll into balls. (I've seen a meatball recipe that called for rolling the balls in rice flour--it might be worth a try.)
Cook the pasta separately to the al dente point. (I tried cooking the pasta and meatballs at the same time. By the time the pasta was tender, the meatballs had dissolved. It wasn't pretty, but it tasted fine.)
The sugar adds an interesting flavor, but pass it on the side--it may be too strange for some folks.
This isn't working the way I had envisioned. The meatballs still are breaking up. They're too bland... Maybe this was meant to be a thick puree. The sugar is great!

Reviews

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