Chicken soup with homemade noodles, just like in Brătești

Sweet words woven into a melodious harmony, joyful people welcoming guests, dishes prepared according to recipes that stack centuries of history, grandparents, grandchildren, erudite faces, and many meaningful conversations. In the Stolniceni-Prăjescu commune, a commune with the largest number of Russian Lipovans in the Iași county, a great feast is prepared while following Eastern traditions.

We are welcomed on a cold day that reminds us of the vicissitudes near the Arctic Circle, by people who, through joy, song, the joy of living, and piety, will tell us and cook some of their traditional recipes. Babka Palaghia and Babka Parascovia set a large table where we will taste two traditional Lipovan dishes: Chicken Soup with Homemade Noodles and Jarkovia.

For such a gathering, for the chicken soup, it is necessary to have two healthy roosters, and for the dish that follows the fresh pork. Cooking takes place outside, and in line with the cold, we warm ourselves with a fiery brandy that invigorates the blood and loosens tongues.

For the chicken soup, the grandmothers boil two sacrificed roosters in the evening. Separately, they prepare the vegetables from their own greenhouses and gardens, gardens that are well-known in the area and delight many gentlemen from Pașcani, Târgu Frumos, or even Iași with fresh produce. In a large cauldron with boiling water, they add the vegetables: parsley root, finely chopped onions, carrots, and parsley. When it’s nearly cooked, they add spices and the semi-cooked, portioned pork alongside the “innards” of the poultry: gizzards, livers, and hearts. After a few good boils, they add the sour borscht to taste, and at the apotheosis, the hands of homemade noodles. The chicken soup is simmered and receives an unimaginably delicious taste with some finely chopped parsley. The soup is served hot, and the meat is savored separately.

Jarkovia is the second course of the feast and is prepared as follows: Babka Palagia heats a few fingers of oil in a cauldron and sautés finely sliced onions. Separately, generous pieces of pork are seared over high heat. The distinctive element of the dish is given by the pickled cucumbers that have been desalted for several hours in advance. Alternating layers, Babka layers in the cauldron at a slow heat one layer of onions, one of meat, and one of sliced pickles. Between them, a pinch of salt, pepper, and bay leaves tie them together. The final layer is that of onions, and on top, everything is bound with a few tablespoons of tomato paste dissolved in lukewarm water. The marvel simmers with the lid on over a low heat for almost an hour while polenta is prepared.

Our appetite was greatly satisfied, and the joy of sitting at the table with warm and welcoming people reached boundless heights. Spasibo!

Chicken Soup Ingredients:

– One free-range chicken with giblets (heart, liver, gizzard)

– 3 carrots

– 3 yellow onions

– 3 parsley roots

– 3 parsley roots

– Homemade noodles

– A bunch of fresh parsley

– Salt

– Pepper

– A little sour borscht

Instructions:

1. Place the chicken in a pot and bring it to a boil. Skim off any impurities that rise to the surface to obtain a clear soup.
2. Separately, boil the root vegetables. Add them to the chicken broth along with finely chopped onions, carrots, and parsley.
3. When everything is almost cooked, add spices and the portioned pork alongside the poultry giblets: gizzards, livers, and hearts.
4. After a few good boils, add sour borscht to taste and, in the end, add the homemade noodles.
5. Let the soup simmer briefly, and at the end, garnish with finely chopped parsley. Serve the soup hot, and the meat can be enjoyed separately.