Rosół (Polish Clear Chicken Soup)

Put the chicken in a large pot, cover with about 3 litres of cold water and bring it slowly to just below a simmer. As grey foam rises, skim it off patiently until the surface runs clear.

💡 Starting in cold water and never letting it boil hard is the whole secret to a clear rosół. A rolling boil churns the fat and scum back in and turns it cloudy.

Once skimmed, add the charred onion, carrots, parsley root, celeriac, leek, bay, allspice and peppercorns. Keep the heat so low that only the odd bubble breaks the surface, and cook uncovered for 2 to 3 hours.

In the last 20 minutes, add the parsley and lovage and season carefully with salt. Then strain the broth through a fine sieve or muslin into a clean pot.

💡 Do not stir the pot in the final stretch — let it sit still so the broth settles crystal clear before you strain.

Cook the noodles separately in salted water, drain, and divide between warm bowls. Ladle the hot clear broth over them, add a few pieces of the poached chicken and carrot, and finish with chopped parsley.

💡 Always cook and store the noodles apart from the broth. Sitting in soup they swell, go soft and cloud the liquid.