Lapsha is Russian for noodles. Traditionally, the noodles are cooked right before adding them to the soup. This is a delicious soup that has more variations then you could count. Everyone has a secrete recipe that is handed down from Grandma. My recipe comes from my collection and this soup was used at many of my banquet functions in America. So lets make a wonderful soup that will warm any cold winter night…
Ingredients:
Whole chicken (try to use fresh not frozen – I like straight from the local market)
1 big onion
1 quart / liter of water per pound of chicken
salt
2 to 3 celery stalks (or root will do in a pinch – just use half the amount)
Noodle Ingredients:
5 egg yolks
10 table-spoons of cold water
salt
plain flour
Lets Make the Broth:
Boil the chicken and celery until done with the whole uncut onion (after onion is peeled of course) in a large sauce pan on medium heat. (It is done when chicken starts to fall apart)
After finished cooking, remove chicken and onion and celery. (I like to strain the broth)
Leave broth in sauce pan and remove bones and skin from chicken.
Put only the meat back into the saucepan with the broth. (Do not put skin, onion or celery back in broth. I also do not put any meat back in except the white meat.)
Lets Prepare the Noodles:
Mix yolks and water and salt to taste in a mixing bowl. (fork whipping is fine)
Then in mixing bowl add flour till the pastry will be not sticky and will be stretchable.
Continue to knead dough for at least 10 minutes.
Then roll it out like pie dough thickness into a circle shape and leave standing for 10 minutes.
After standing for 10 minute powder the top with flour and roll the circle up into a long tube. (Other words it looks like a skinny carrot)
Slice the rolled up dough into thin slices no more than one eighth of an inch thick and leave sitting for 10-15 min.
Prepare another sauce pan with water boiling (Three liters is enough water.) and add the noodles to the boiling water for no more than two minutes (2 min)
Also start reheating on low to medium heat the chicken broth that you made.
Then strain the noodles out of the water and add them to the chicken broth.
Cook till noodles will be finished and the broth seems to be thickening. Takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes.
Notes:
The idea is to create a clear type broth and not have any veggies showing. The center stage of this recipe is the Lapsha noodles…
I also use carrots and garlic – just remember to remove them after cooking. If recipe seems large just cut all proportions equally and result will be the same.
Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.
