Every night around 4 a.m. at Employees Only, we offer up a hot cup of chunky chicken soup to the survivors of the long, cruel night. It is a tradition came by way of Greek night clubs. It is how we say “thank you” and “good night” to all the people who might expect one more drink.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 1/2 to 5 quarts
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place the chicken, onion, carrot, and celery in a large pot and pour in 3 quarts of water (the chicken should be completely submerged). Add the garlic, bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, and cardamom. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
Step 2
Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a smaller pot and discard the solids. When the chicken is cool, remove the skin and cut the meat from the bones. Discard the skin and bones, cut the meat into bite-size pieces, and add them back to the broth. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
Step 3
Meanwhile, in a sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until tender, 6 to 10 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the soup, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve when drunk.
