Recipe: Neiman Marcus Chicken Broth

NEIMAN MARCUS CHICKEN BROTH

"Whenever we open new Neiman Marcus stores, the tradition of immediately presenting our guests with this flavorful broth receives the greatest attention from food reviewers. Most of them have described it as an embracing, comforting, and pleasant touch. It remains a very simple yet profound statement created all those years ago by Mr. Stanley."

5 pounds mixed chicken parts (from 2 fryers)
2 cups coarsely chopped celery
1 cup peeled and chopped carrots
2 cups onion wedges
3 garlic cloves
5 black peppercorns
1 dried bay leaf
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bunch fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley stems only
2 chicken bouillon cubes, crumbled*

Rinse the chicken pieces under cold running water and place in a heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the celery, carrots, onions, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, and bouillon powder. Add about 1 gallon of cold water or enough to cover the ingredients by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, turn down the heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 3 or 4 hours; skim the surface occasionally to remove fat and impurities. Partially cover the pot with a lid but do not let the stock cook above a slow simmer; this ensures a clean stock.

Pass the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean saucepan and skim again.

To serve, ladle the broth into warm soup bowls.

*CHEF'S NOTE:
Don't be hesitant to use bouillon cubes because they enrich the flavor of the broth. Use a brand you like-the level of salt added varies quite a lot. This broth is the building block for many of our soups and sauces at Neiman Marcus, as well as the starting point for our stocks.

ABOUT THE RECIPE:
"This broth, presented as a complimentary demitasse at the start of every meal, was first served in the zodiac restaurant in the Downtown Dallas store in the mid-1950s. Mr. Stanley challenged Helen Corbitt to come up with an offering for the guests once they were seated.

When discussing this gesture of hospitality with Mr. Stanley, he explained to me that during the 1950s, most people across the country would enter a restaurant and immediately order a cup of coffee. This habit distressed Mr. Stanley because he was convinced that drinking coffee impeded the taste buds, and he had learned from his travels to countries such as France that a more subtle beginning would do better to whet the appetite. There was another practical reason for a complimentary refreshment: at the time, Neiman Marcus customers were waiting in long lines to have lunch at the Zodiac, such was Helen's success and popularity. Offering them something like a small cup of chicken broth, accompanied by Popovers made their wait more tolerable. Incidentally, this soup turned out to be a big favorite of Mr. Stanley's-so much so that he'd sometimes request a to-go package so he could enjoy some later in the day."

Makes 6 to 8 servings (about 3 quarts)
Source: Neiman Marcus Cookbook by Kevin Garvin, John Harrisson and Neiman-Marcus