Vermicelli Soup I

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb bacon
• cloves
• 0.5 oz butter
• flour
• 1 small fowl (chicken), trussed for boiling
• 2 oz vermicelli
• 2 quarts white stock

Method

Poach the chicken and bacon together in stock to build a single, unified broth rather than cooking them separately. Bring the white stock to a gentle simmer — not a rolling boil, which will cloud the liquid and toughen the fowl — and submerge the trussed chicken and bacon studded with cloves. The cloves perfume the broth from within; this is more efficient than adding them loose and fishing them out later. Work the butter and flour together into a beurre manié and whisk it into the simmering liquid to thicken slightly without the floury taste of a roux cooked separately. Maintain a steady simmer for 45 minutes. The chicken is done when the thigh meat pulls easily from the bone and the juices run clear — check this before timing alone, as bird size varies.

While the poaching finishes, cook the vermicelli in a separate small pan with some of the simmering broth. This prevents the pasta starch from clouding the entire pot and gives you control over its texture — bring it to a gentle boil and taste after 6–8 minutes. The vermicelli should be tender but still hold its shape; overcooked pasta will collapse into the soup and turn it starchy and dull.

Lift the chicken from the pot and set it aside to rest briefly. Remove the bacon and place it on a serving dish — it acts as a garnish and protein anchor here, not a supporting player. simmering|Skim the broth thoroughly whilst it is still hot; the rendered fat and impurities rise as the poach cools slightly, making this easier. Strain the broth through fine cloth or a sieve if you want absolute clarity, though this step is optional.

Return the strained broth to the pot, add the cooked vermicelli, and adjust the seasoning. Pour the soup and pasta into a serving bowl or tureen and lay the chicken on top. Crumble or slice the bacon over it. Serve with thin-sliced bread on the side — the bread absorbs the rich broth rather than being added directly to the pot, where it would waterlog and disintegrate.