Recipe: Susan's Italian Wedding Soup

recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap - 2001-02-27
From: Nancy,.SanFran

Susan's Italian Wedding Soup
Recipe By : Susan Burgess

--Soup base--
1 whole chicken -- about 4 to 5 pounds
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
6 large garlic cloves -- smashed and peeled
1 cup dry vermouth
1 can lower salt chicken broth -- (48 ounce)
2 cans full of water -- (48 ounce)
2 medium onions -- quartered
1 large stick celery -- broken into 3 pieces
2 large carrots -- broken in half
1 teaspoon assorted whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
3 thyme sprigs -- (3 to 4)
1 large rosemary sprig

--Meatballs--
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground beef sirloin
1 egg -- slightly beaten
2 garlic cloves -- minced
1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
A few gratings of fresh nutmeg
1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

--Other--
1/4 pound tiny pasta -- such as tubetti or pastina
1 large head escarole
3 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Dry the chicken with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Place a large heavy soup pot over medium-high heat and when hot, add the olive oil. Add the chicken and garlic, and brown the chicken all over.

After the chicken is golden brown, add the wine, scraping up any brown bits stuck on the bottom of the pot. Then add the chicken broth, water, and the rest of the soup base ingredients. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to a simmer. Cook until the chicken begins to fall off the bones.

Preheat oven to 400. Combine all the meatball ingredients and mix together well. Form into 1-inch or smaller balls. Place the meatballs, not touching each other, on a baking pan, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

When the chicken soup is done, remove from heat and strain through a large colander to a large bowl. When the chicken has cooled enough to handle, separate out the chicken meat, and discard the rest of the solids. (Soup can be made to this point up to a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate stock, chicken meat, and meatballs separately. After refrigeration, remove fat from the top of the stock if desired.) Return the stock and chicken meat to soup pot. Heat and maintain at a simmer. Add meatballs to the chicken soup.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions. Wash, trim, and chop escarole. Mix together raw eggs and cheese. Drain pasta, and add pasta and escarole to soup pot. Cook until escarole is wilting and the soup is hot. When the simmering soup is bubbling, slowly add the egg and cheese mixture, stirring, and cook until the egg is cooked. Serve immediately.

Susan Burgess
Prodigy Food and Wine Page
http://food.bb.prodigy.com