This soup is rich in flavor and thick in texture, and is served at the Easter table alongside tsoureki, spicy kasseri cheese, pastourma, soutzouki and other cured meats, red-dyed eggs and cups of warm milk.
Chef: Huseyin Ayvaz
Prep: 40 minutes
Cooking: 2 hours
Ingredients
(serves 6-8)
• 1 whole chicken, about 1.5 kg
• 1 onion, halved
• 1 carrot, halved
• 1 small celeriac root, halved
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt
• 100 g butter
• 50 ml olive oil
• 100 g flour
• 1 liter fresh whole milk, cold
• 100 g small orzo (kritharaki)
• juice of 1½ lemons
For serving
• 80 g butter
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• ½ bunch dill, finely chopped
Method
Place the chicken, onion, carrot, celeriac, garlic, bay leaf, salt and 3 liters of water in a deep pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 1 hour, skimming as needed. Remove the chicken and set it aside on a platter. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard all the remaining solids. Strain the broth and measure it – you should have 2 liters; if not, top up with hot water. Once the chicken has cooled slightly, take the meat off the bone and shred it into small pieces.
Clean the pot and put it back on a medium heat, adding the butter and oil. Once the butter melts, sprinkle in the flour and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring, until it turns lightly golden and develops a pleasant aroma. Gradually add the cold milk in batches, whisking constantly to dissolve any lumps, until the milk is heated through and just begins to steam. Pour in the 2 liters of hot broth, increase the heat, and cook until it starts to come to a boil.
Add the orzo, reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and continue cooking over low heat until the pasta is tender and the soup thickens nicely. Toward the end, stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat.
To serve: In a skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until melted. Add the paprika and stir until the butter takes on color and begins to sizzle. Remove from the heat. Ladle the hot chicken soup into bowls and drizzle each serving with a little of the melted butter. Sprinkle with dill and serve.
This story first appeared in Kathimerini’s food supplement, Gastronomos.